


Take Me Down

by thechosenpen



Series: Daughters Of The Nemeton [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Scott, Angst, Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, McCall Pack, Minor Original Character(s), Mystery, Original Character(s), Pack Dynamics, Season 4 AU, Supernatural Elements, Team as Family, The Orphans - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 143,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8019439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thechosenpen/pseuds/thechosenpen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a supernatural hit list gets into the hands of The Orphans, Ariana Petrakis takes little convincing and joins her friends in the hunt. Her chemistry skills are put to use, using her deadly poison to take down one supernatural creature at a time. But when the list suddenly updates, there's one new name she never expected to see: Her Own. [Liam/OC]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Keyword

It wasn't meant to be like this. It was never meant to end up like this.

The body count was never meant to be this high. Her hands were never meant to be so blood stained. She should have been worrying about her next chemistry assignment, not worrying about the right chemicals to remove blood from her clothes. This energy inside her was never meant to grow so strong. It was never meant to get so out of control. It was never meant to consume her like this.

But it did.

There was a plan, at least back then when it was just the three of them. A trio of violent orphans: a force to be reckoned with. It had been a good solid plan with an easy exit strategy for the three of them. A way of surviving until they could start just living. The three of them were meant to follow this through together. They weren't meant to abandon her.

But they did.

She was never meant to fall for him. Falling for him had thrown everything off course. It shifted away from everything she knew. She should have walked away as soon as she learned the truth. She should have never let him take her hand that day.

But he did.

Her name was never meant to be on the list. She was never meant to switch sides like this. She had taken a side, quite strongly. She had grown up with her solid beliefs, glad that she was nothing like _them_. She was not meant to become one of _them_. She was never meant to get so deep into this world.

But she did.

And now she was going to lose it all. She'd had her chance to show them the good inside and instead she had thrown it all away for something impossible. For a chance to be whole. All she had left now was this last shot at redemption. But doing that could mean giving him up. It could mean losing the one person she had left. But it was her only option. Doing this was the only way she could live with herself. Even if it meant losing everything.

So she did.

 

It was never meant to be like this.

 

_ **SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER:** _

Ariana Petrakis liked to consider herself a fairly patient person. She was good at waiting around when she had to. It was almost a requirement when it came to science. Sitting in Chemistry class waiting for the chemicals to react meant that Ariana had practically mastered the art of waiting and she liked to think she could apply that patience outside of her favourite class.

Her best friend however, did not have the same patience.

"It's been an hour. He should have at least called with an update by now. What the hell is taking so long?" Violet was pacing up and down the dusty floorboards, phone clutched in one hand and the other running through her long dark hair for the hundredth time. For a girl who exuded so much confidence, it baffled Ariana sometimes to see the dark haired beauty so wound up. But then again being an orphan whose mother had gone out and never returned made it a little more understandable. But then again Violet was always impatient, no matter what the scenario. Violet had always been the impatient one in their little group, always wanting fast results. She was definitely one to live in the moment, unlike Ariana who preferred to let things play out while she could sit back and observe.

"Relax. He's probably just being a jerk because he knows we're waiting. He's Garrett. Give him another twenty minutes." If Violet was the one stressing about what was coming next and Ariana was sitting back waiting for things to play out, Garrett was the one taking action himself. He was always the one making the moves and leading their little trio forwards. They were kind of lucky that they had all found each other in a way. But Garrett also loved to taunt the girls and it wasn't uncommon for him to make them wait around a little longer just so his arrival was fully acknowledged.

Ariana stretched out from her sitting position on the couch, and shuffled around until there was enough room to lie down instead. Her light blue acid wash jeans were riding up slightly and she snuffled around for a few more moments in an attempt to get comfortable. She tried to ignore the creaking sound that emerged from underneath her. She didn't need another reminder of how crappy this couch was. "And if we don't hear anything then you can send him a long angry voicemail until you feel better and I'll make pasta."

Violet paused briefly in her pacing to give Ariana a half hearted glare before resuming her attempt to wear down the floorboards completely. Her dark navy skirt swished as she paced and Ariana could practically hear the necklace she wore bouncing off her chest with every step. For someone who dressed as effortless as Violet did, pulling off the cute tops and skirts with her long legs as if the clothes were made for her, it was almost astounding to see the high stress hiding behind it all.

"I'm serious, Ari. What if something's happened to him and he can't call?"

"Then more pasta for us and you know you'd love that!" Ariana said with a cheeky grin. That was enough to break the tension in the room and Violet let out a laugh. She'd stopped pacing finally and was just leaning against the wall now, her eyes glued to the front door.

"He never takes this long," Violet muttered half under her breath, and Ariana let out a sigh in response. She couldn't think of anything else to say that wasn't a lie at this point. Ariana couldn't fault her friend for the impatience she was demonstrating, not that she was going to admit it aloud. Violet was right, he never took this long. Part of her was feeling a bit worried but she trusted Garrett enough to come back, tacos in hand and enough money for the next few month's rent. He would come through as he always did. He knew the consequences of failure.

At fifteen years old the three of them really shouldn't have been worrying about things like this. Honestly Ariana was surprised they had even been able to get away with living alone this long but that was the perk of having a foster brother who cared enough to rent the apartment in his name. As long as they gave him money for rent they had a roof over their heads and no one else to answer to.

Ariana was about to send Garrett a sneaky text when the sound of a key jingling in the lock caused her head to snap up. Violet froze in place, her eyes widening slightly as they both waited for the door to swing open.

"Uh, I have a delivery for Pet-dorkus?" The door swung open and there he was. Garrett was standing at the doorway, tacos in hand as promised, a smirk on his face. Yeah, he had definitely stalled to mess with them. Jerk. Ariana also noticed that he had changed out of the green polo top he had left the house in earlier and was wearing a grey t-shirt instead, letting it sit half tucked into his old black jeans.

"Garrett!" Violet practically squealed, pushing herself off the wall and launching herself into his arms. Ariana rolled her eyes as she dragged her body off the couch. Still, she flashed Garrett a grateful grin as she took the tacos out of his hands so he could return Violet's embrace properly. Honestly fifteen year old boys were the worst sometimes. Still, he had brought tacos and that made up for his dumb nickname for her.

"Alright, you two have your gross reunion while I get the plates," Ariana said half to herself as she moved into their tiny kitchen, placing the packaged food onto the granite counter. Pulling out some clean plates, she quickly sorted the takeaway onto each person's plate. A few moments later Violet and Garrett made their way over to the kitchen area, making it almost instantly crowded. You'd think after living here for a few months they would be used to the cramped space but it still bugged Ariana that they could barely fit all three of them in the same kitchen area without bumping elbows. Still, it was home and right now she was too excited by dinner to actually care.

The three of them piled onto the couch together, plates carefully balanced on laps, and they fell into their comfortable Sunday night routine, arguing over salsa and spilling too much sour cream on the floorboards. To an outsider they probably looked like any other group of normal teenagers eating in on a Sunday night.

But they weren't of course. Normal fifteen year olds didn't sit around in a shabby apartment with zero parents in sight. Normal teenagers were spending tonight arguing with parents and siblings, worrying about going back to school. Worrying about assignments and tryouts. Ariana was worrying about all of that too of course, it's just that she and the other two orphans sitting beside her had other things on their minds too.

"So, what the heck took you so long tonight?" Ariana finally asked, wiping salsa off her cheek as she raised an eyebrow at Garrett.

He raised an eyebrow right back at her, blonde hair flopping into his eyes slightly. He was definitely overdue for a haircut again. "Heck? Seriously, Ari? You still say heck? We're literally teenage mercenaries and you say heck." Violet giggled from his other side, ignoring Ariana's glare.

"Heck is a great word. And excuse me for not conforming to the scary assassin stereotype. My hands are clean and so is my mouth."

"How are your hands clean?" Violet questioned, leaning forwards with a laugh already prepared on her lips.

"I have never killed a man." Ariana said simply, jutting her chin forward proudly.

"No, you just poison them until they die from internal organ failure," Garrett replied drily as he reached across to grab the guacamole from beside Violet. "Much better."

Ariana huffed as she sunk back into the couch, ignoring the laughs from Violet and Garrett. "Whatever, at least when I get something done I don't take hours and hours and make everyone else wait while they slowly starve. And by the way you're avoiding the question," she turned back to Garrett, nudging him. He rolled his eyes again as he slowly finished chewing down his taco.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know what took you so long." Ariana shot back. "Violet nearly wore down the floorboards completely. I'm surprised she didn't fall through the floor into the Walsh's lounge downstairs." Violet opened her mouth to protest but was cut off by Garrett's sharp laugh.

"Right, my bad. No, it all went fine. The guy just put up a bit more of a fight than I was anticipating. It was good though. You know I like a challenge." Garrett winked at Violet, leaning over to press a kiss to her lips.

"Ugghhhhhh. Gross." Ariana groaned, faking a gag as she hastily swallowed down the last bite of her taco. "But you got it done?"

Garrett pulled way from Violet, a smirk on his lips. "We're eating tacos aren't we? Of course I got it done. We'll have the rest of the payment tomorrow morning. And if we don't, I'll just kill that guy too." He shrugged, leaning back to sit comfortably between the two girls. To some people it would be alarming and even unnerving to see a young fifteen year old talk about murdering someone while casually eating tacos, but the orphans' body count had been increasing quite steadily over the last year and they were used to the odd juxtaposition. Plus, it got the bills paid and as long as Ariana focused on that she was able to sleep at night just fine.

"Oh, shit. I almost forgot. How did I forget? Alright, I found something in the letterbox and you both need to see it. This could change everything." Garrett sat up suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that the trio had fallen into as their food comas kicked in. His sudden movement jolted the two girls and Ariana shook her head, curls from her long caramel ponytail brushing against her face.

"It could change everything but you forgot about until after tacos? You're such a guy." Violet remarked with a smirk.

"Shut up Vi. Just check this out." Garrett fished through his pocket for a second before pulling out the last thing she had expected. A cassette tape, with the words 'PLAY ME' written on the label.

"What the hell is that? Is it an actual cassette tape?" Violet snatched it off him to examine it, her eyes wide and curious. "This is ancient! And Play Me? We don't even have anything to play it with!" She seemed about as stunned Ariana felt.

Ariana's brows furrowed as she reached out a hand to Violet who passed it over reluctantly. Ariana examined it, turning it over several times. What kind of a person would send them a cassette tape? Ariana did love a good mystery, her love of science constantly pushing her to find answers, but this was just ridiculous.

"It was in our mailbox. With a letter." Garrett was being ridiculously dramatic now, as he always did. He was the leader of their little group of a reason and that reason was his love of creating and being at the head of anything interesting. He was probably thriving off the knowledge that he knew something the two girls didn't. Ariana on the other hand, was getting a little frustrated. She was patient but even she had her limits.

"A letter? What are you on about? Stop being all mysterious, Garrett. What's going on? Who sent us a letter?" Violet interrupted Ariana's thoughts, her curiosity beating the small brunette's.

Finally Garrett seemed to have had enough with drawing it out. He was clearly too excited as he whipped out a letter from the same pocket as before. "Apparently word has got around about our little weekend activities. We're getting famous. And now we've been given an opportunity."

He held the letter out, and Ariana leaned forward to read it. It was a short brief letter, written in a scrawling hand writing.

_Hello Orphans. You have been selected because your skills have been recognised._

_This town is being overrun with supernatural creatures. It is time to put your skills to work._

_You will have received an email that requires a cipher code._

_The code is provided below. This is part one._

_Good luck,_

_The Benefactor_

Violet was already booting up her laptop before Ariana could open her mouth. "Okay, I'm going to assume they sent it to Garrett's email since his email deals with everything usually." Garrett didn't reply, choosing to grab the laptop out of her hands instead. He quickly logged into his email, even though they all knew his password anyway.

Sure enough, there was the email from someone called The Benefactor . There was no message or headline in the email. Just a link. Garrett clicked on it, his finger hitting the key hard with impatience. The link lead to a page with a small text box labelled:  _Keyword._

Garrett typed in the code, his hands completely steady and careful as he pressed each letter.

ALLISON.

The code worked and immediately the screen began to shift, a list of names slowly appearing in front of their eyes until it finally stopped. And there it was.

_Sean Walcott - 250k_

_David Walcott - 250k_

_Michael Walcott - 250k_

_Christina Walcott - 250k_

_Lydia Martin - 20m_

_Scott McCall - 25m_

_Demarco Montana - 250k_

_Derek Hale - 15m_

_Carrie Hudson - 500k_

_Kayleen Bettcher - 250k_

_Kira Yukimura - 6m_

_Elias Town - 250k_

There was a long silence between the three orphans as they all stared at the list in front of them. Finally Violet spoke up. "Does...does that all mean what I think it means? Those numbers?"

Garrett had a wild look in his eyes as he looked over at his girlfriend. Turning to Ariana, he grinned. "It's a hit list. A supernatural hit list. We take down a few of those creatures and we'll have rent sorted for the next five years at least. Shit, we'll be set for college."

Violet let out a whoop, throwing herself back into the couch with a gleeful smile. "Hell yes! Big money and getting rid of the werewolves? Oh my god, yes." She clapped her hands together a few times, clearly over the moon with this proposition.

The couple both turned to Ariana, whose eyes were still on this list.

"Ari? What do you say? It's gotta be all three of us if we do this." Garrett gave her a careful look. Ariana knew that, of course she knew that. It was always the three of them, no matter what. They couldn't do this all without her. They were a trio and they stood by each other. But looking at Garrett, Ariana could tell he saw her uncertainty. It wasn't that she didn't care about the money, but she had really hoped that this year she could focus on school, try and be a normal freshman without all the murdering. She was in danger of getting her hands dirty the deeper the orphans fell into their mercenary roles, and Ariana wanted so hard to get the chance to be normal. This chance was anything but normal.

But then it was a hard offer to pass up and she couldn't let down her friends. Ariana knew if she said no Garrett and Violet would be disappointed but they would turn down the offer too. They needed her alongside them, and it was either all in or all out. She couldn't do that to them. She couldn't deprive her two best friends of the chance of a life time. Maybe this was the chance to get themselves out of this dumpy apartment. Maybe this could be her final job before she traded her poison for a normal life. Maybe she could track down the creatures that made her an orphan in the first place. This really was a no-brainer.

Ariana looked down at the list, her brain churning in time with her stomach as she stared at the names.

"I'm in."


	2. Chemistry

"Oh my God, please save me." Ariana dropped into her regular seat on the school bus, letting her bag swing under her feet as she sat down. It was way too early to be awake, and this bus was way too crowded which meant Ariana's morning crankiness was even worse than usual. There was nothing more annoying than piling onto an overcrowded bus, especially on the first day back. Luckily for Ariana, she could always count on a spot being saved for her towards the back of the bus and she had a certain dark skinned boy to thank for that.

"Sure. What am I saving you from?" Mason Hewitt asked from his spot beside her, sitting back against the window so he could face her properly. He had been leaning forward to talk to a super cute guy Ariana didn't recognise, probably a sophomore, but he sat back once Ariana arrived. She felt partly bad for interrupting Mason's flirting but at the same time, this crisis took priority.

"The two lovebirds-oh gross." Ariana answered, following that immediately with a loud groan as Violet and Garrett slid into the seats directly behind them, Garrett's arm automatically slinging itself across Violet's shoulder. "You two are disgusting," Ariana added. "It's officially too early for PDA."

"Love does not recognise the boundaries of time!" Violet declared dramatically, grabbing Garett's face and planting a kiss on his lips. He responded willingly, causing another groan from Ariana. She turned away from them, pointedly facing Mason instead.

"See what I put up with?" Ariana furrowed her brow at Mason who was already half way through a laugh. "Mason! You're supposed to be single and miserable like me. Don't encourage them."

"Sorry, sorry. Right, single and miserable. Got it. " Mason pulled his face into a serious expression for roughly five seconds before breaking back into a grin. His dark eyes twinkled at Ariana and within seconds she found herself grinning back at him.

Ariana wasn't sure how she had done anything worthy of being friends with Mason, especially given her extracurricular activities. But somehow he had ended up one of her closest friends outside of Violet and Garrett. Not that he was aware of their situation of course, they were careful to keep him out of the loop in that area. As far as he knew, The Orphans' apartment was only Ariana's and her foster brother's, which was partly true. His absence was easily explained by his long and weird hours for his nursing duties at Beacon Hills Hospital. Mason didn't need to know that Lucas was actually only the owner of the apartment for legal purposes. Ariana barely spoke to him unless it was about the rent. As far as Violet and Garrett's living arrangements went, they managed to evade the questions enough and Mason wasn't nosy enough to push any further so it worked out just fine. Luckily Mason's house was super nice and he was always willing to have them over to hang out so they were able to hang out outside school without any awkward questions arising.

The rest of the ride to school was fairly uneventful aside from the occasional gag-worthy PDA from behind Ariana. It was bad enough having to put up with their mushiness when they were home and it only seemed to get worse when they went out in public. Part of it was for appearances obviously, Ariana knew that. Nobody was going to suspect the cute freshman couple of being murderers. But Violet and Garrett were just naturally affectionate anyway, unlike Ariana who felt like nobody needed declarations of love in their face every day. She loved her two best friends more than anything, but she didn't need the constant reminder that she was technically living the life of a third wheel.

Once the bus finally pulled up at the school Ariana pulled herself out of her seat, backpack already half slung over her shoulder as she followed Mason towards the exit, Garrett and Violet trailing along behind her. Mason stepped off the last step of the bus, immediately turning around to hold a hand out to Ariana to help her down. She grinned down at him, taking his hand, and jumped off onto the hard concrete. Her lack of height gave her a significant enough distance from the ground that she landed with a bit of a thud.

"Right then, so what's your first class?" She asked, smoothing down her red plaid dress and linking her arm through Mason's as they began to walk. She could hear Violet and Mason's chatter a few steps behind and ducked her head behind to flash them both a smile.

"Ah first period? Chemistry." Mason replied with a groan.

"Ah yes, same! Awesome!" Ariana knew that advertising the fact that she was excited about Chemistry was probably the last thing she should be doing on the first day back, but the little nerd inside her was too keen to bother about her cool factor right now.

"I'll say. Chem with you? I might actually pass." Mason beamed down at Ariana.

"Well if you're extra nice I might lend you my notes, but you'll owe me." Ariana raised an eyebrow at him. Surely he knew by now that her Chemistry notes were highly sought out amongst half the freshman class. She couldn't just go handing them out to anybody.

"I will pay you with my everlasting friendship?"

"I'll take it!" Ariana flashed Mason a wide smile, clutching his arm tighter to hers as they walked.

The two of them ambled through the school yard, arm in arm, falling into an easy discussion about Mason's issue with Chemistry and how confusing he found Ariana's excitement over it. By the time they made it to the main hallway it was already flooded with students. The tiny brunette glared at a few students who clearly thought she was too small to see and just walked right into her. Ariana knew she was short but honestly this was ridiculous. Mason had tried to shield her for the most part but they parted ways at his locker and she was on her own for the last few metres, doing her best to dodge any tall seniors.

"Oh, crap. My bad."

Ariana felt her shoulder collide against something solid and her head shot up in time to notice the body it belonged to. The guy, who looked around her age, had stopped in his tracks to apologise. He almost looked like a deer caught in headlights with his big wide eyes staring at her. Ariana froze for a moment as she stared back.

The guy looked vaguely stunned, like bumping into her had knocked the wind out of him. Not to mention he had really nice blue eyes, although she only noticed them because he was looking so intently at her. That was the only reason. Ariana quickly composed herself, shaking her head as if she could shake out that trail of thoughts. Her ponytail bounced back and forth, brushing against her reddening cheeks slightly.

"No, it's fine," she said quickly, pulling her face into a somewhat composed expression. "All good!" Without waiting to see his response, Ariana turned on her heels and hurried off, zipping around the corner of the corridor, completely missing her locker and almost having a second collision. Luckily it was only Violet, books already in her arms.

"Whoop! Sorry. Oh my God. This is the worst first day back," Ariana blurted out, reaching out a hand to steady herself on Violet's arm.

"Woah, why? Who did you murder?" Violet joked. Ariana jerked her head up to glare at her best friend. Seriously? She was going to joke about that just out in the open, in front of hundreds of nosy students who thrived off eavesdropping? Violet seemed to catch herself though, her eyes quickly darting around her. "Sorry. Kidding. Sort of. Your morning temper can be questionable. What did you do? Did you talk about your love of science loudly and out yourself as a Science Dork?"

"Rude. No, I just crashed into someone, well he crashed into me, and it was just really awkward. Ugh." Ariana gave her entire body a shiver as if she was shaking off the entire encounter. "Anyway, now I've gone past my locker and I can't go back because I might bump into him again and that would just raise the awkwardness to a level I don't need right now."

"You're being crazy. Give it a minute and then I will walk with you and protect you from any awkwardness."

Ariana gave a sigh of relief, nodding her head. "Yes, good plan. Oh where did Garrett get to?"

"He ran into a bunch of jocks and there was too much sport talk so I bailed." Violet shrugged as the two girls began to move back around the corner. Violet had her eyes peeled as they walked along. "So who was the guy? Was he cute? What did he look like? Was he a freshman?"

Ariana frowned at the sudden influx of questions. "What? I don't know. I was too busy recovering from his clumsiness to pay attention to his face." Well that was a blatant lie.

"This why you're single. Ugh, honestly." Violet rolled her eyes as they arrived at Ariana's locker, now clumsy boy free. "Okay, grab your crap and let's go. If we miss the beginning of Chem I'll have to hear about it from you all day."

They strolled into the lab with plenty of time luckily, giving them time to pick a good bench near the window. Ariana slid onto the first stool, Violet slotting in next to her, her partner as always. They had been partners in every subject that required partners since they had become friends back in Ariana's third foster home when they were only ten years old. Even when Garrett came along, Violet made it clear that Ariana was her first partner in crime. The fact that Violet would probably fail Chemistry without Ariana was beside the point.

"Good morning class, welcome back. Now this week's topic will be Chemical Reactions, which you would have known if you read the board when you walked in." Mrs Martin stepped up in front of the class, her hands clasped in front of her as she began the lesson. Ariana was already leaning forward, her brain suddenly wide awake and ready.

"You look like a nerd," Violet muttered under her breath, her body tilting slightly towards Ariana.

"Shut up. Chemicals and reactions. Aka how do chemicals react. Aka how can my poison work better," Ariana shot back quietly, her lips barely moving as she tried to focus on the rest of Mrs Martin's introduction. It was true, the more she learned about chemicals, the more she could learn how to rework her poisons to help her friends. It was perfect.

The rest of the class flew by about as easily as Ariana had expected. She already had a lot of basic knowledge and most of the class was just theory based, giving a brief overview of the different types of reactions, with a lot of quiet reading and then a quiz to fill out. Ariana breezed through the quiz, giving her a bit of time to glance around the room. She hadn't paid much attention to anyone else when she had first entered the classroom, too eager to get a good bench before the room filled up, but now she had a chance to gaze around.

She could see a few other familiar freshman from last term, although she still hadn't talked to half of them. But there were a few notable exceptions. Sitting a row across she could see Genevieve in all her fiery haired glory, another girl from her foster care days. Genevieve and Ariana had known each other since their first foster home together back when they were barely out of diapers. Not that they talked much anymore. Ariana ducked her eyes away before Genevieve could look up and create an awkward moment. One awkward moment was enough for today.

Ariana's eyes continued to trail across the room until she spotted Mason, sitting on the other side of the room across from her, his head bent down as he focused on the quiz. He had thrown Ariana a wide grin when she walked in but they were sitting too far apart to talk properly. And sitting next to him…well speaking of awkward moments, it was the boy from the hallway. So he was a freshman after all, but she definitely hadn't seen him at school last term. She was sure she would have remembered him. He was staring down at the paper as if he could just make it disappear with sheer force of will. Ariana took this opportunity to look at him properly now, her eyes taking in his golden brown hair, styled into a look that half the freshman boys seemed to think looked cool right now, sticking up slightly as if he had just rolled out of bed, but somehow he made it look endearing. Ariana's eyes lingered over his frame, tense and tight as he leaned over the paper, but clearly in good shape.

"Are you right there?" Violet hissed suddenly, breaking Ariana's very important trail of thoughts.

"Huh?" Ariana snapped her head back to face Violet. She squinted slightly as the sun decided to shove itself in her face. Ugh. Even Ariana's love of science couldn't remove the irritation of mornings.

"You're practically drooling," Violet hissed back, raising an eyebrow at Ariana.

The smaller girl threw a glare at Violet, tugging her quiz away so Violet wouldn't be able to copy her answers as she had been doing for the last few minutes. "Was not. Shut up."

Before Violet could throw back another retort, the sound of the bell pulled the girls' conversation to a halt. Ariana quickly grabbed the quizzes from their bench, bringing them up to Mrs Martin as she exited the classroom, Violet several steps behind.

"So? Who were you staring at?" She asked, nudging Ariana as she fell into step with her.

"No one!"

Violet raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Fine. It was just the guy sitting next to Mason. He was the one who crashed into me before. The klutz who nearly made us late to Chem." Ariana blurted out finally, crossing her arms and hugging them to her chest as she walked.

"Ooh that guy? The one with the light brown hair? Damn, I barely got a good look at him." Violet jerked her head back as if moving to head back into the classroom and Ariana hurriedly grabbed her arm to stop her, tugging Violet until she gave up and fell back into step with her as they headed off to English class together.

Considering it was the first day back, Ariana was a little disappointed in how dull her day was shaping up to be after the chaotic morning. But lunchtime always brightened up the day, mostly because it meant she got to see Garrett for the first time since the bus. Somehow this term the two of them had ended up with different morning schedules but identical afternoon classes, which was a shame but Ariana took what she could get. At least it meant History would be semi interesting for once, with Garrett's hilarious commentary provided free of charge. He always managed to take the most boring subject she had and turned into something amusing. Ariana really didn't know what she would do without him and his sense of humour sometimes.

Lunchtime though, that was anything but dull. It was the first time the orphans were all together so far today and Ariana felt her mood instantly lifting as she spotted Garrett sitting at an otherwise empty table, food loaded on his lunch tray, Violet already sliding into the seat next to him. Ariana made eye contact with Garrett, giving him a quick wave as she jumped in line to grab her own lunch. She was just stepping back out of the line, tray filled up with some salad and a bread roll, when she was stopped in her tracks, her shoulder colliding with someone for the second time today.

"Watch where you're going!" A male voice came from beside her, aggression clear in its tone.

Ariana frowned as she steadied herself, miraculously managing to keep her tray balanced. She looked up to glare at the aggressive voice. It was the guy from the hallway. Really? Twice in one day? Was she cursed or something? She locked eyes with him and was mildly pleased to see the aggression in his eyes slip away, replaced with a look of surprise.

"Oh."

"Twice in one day. I'm starting to think you're doing this on purpose," Ariana said, shifting her weight across onto one foot as she looked up at him. Damn, he had really ridiculously blue eyes. Forcing herself not to stare into them too much, she quickly glanced around the cafeteria to where Violet and Garrett were engaged in a deep conversation. Great, they were lost in their own world while she was stuck crashing into strangers.

"I wasn't- I didn't mean to-" The guy was fumbling with his words, his hands clutching his own tray so tightly she could see his knuckles whitening. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. You're in Mrs Martin's morning Chemistry class, right?" She asked, her head cocked slightly as if she hadn't been staring at him for half of the class earlier.

"Uh yeah. I am." He nodded awkwardly, his eyes still locked on hers. "Oh, um. I'm Liam."

"Ariana." She allowed lips to curl into the beginning of a smile, any irritation from his collision slipping away from her mind. But before Ariana could say anything else, Liam turned on his heels and hurried off. Apparently they were taking turns running off from each other. Fantastic. Pulling herself together, Ariana hurriedly made her way over to her friends before she could run into any more awkward situations.

"What was that all about?" Garrett asked, a roguish grin on his face as he watched Ariana slip into the seat opposite him.

"What do you mean? What was what about?" Ariana asked innocently, praying that Garrett hadn't seen her awkward encounter.

"You and the new guy."

"Nothing. We have Chemistry together," Ariana shrugged.

"Damn straight, they do." Violet interjected, a smirk on her lips. Honestly she and Garrett were perfectly matched. They were both the worst.

"Violet!"

"Sorry, but it's true! I saw the way you two staring at each other. You were gazing. And you thought Garrett and I were embarrassing." Violet said, raising an eyebrow. Turning to Garrett, she grinned. "That's the guy who crashed into Ari this morning as well."

Garrett leaned back slightly as he toyed with the apple in his hand. "Aha."

Ariana rolled her eyes at the two of them as she began digging into her lunch. "Aha nothing." She fiddled with her lettuce, pushing it around the plate in hopes that moving it around would somehow make it look more appealing. "Wait, you said he was the new guy?" She perked her head up to look at Garrett. That would explain why she hadn't seen him around before.

"Yeah, apparently he just transferred from Devenford this term." Garrett waggled his eyebrows at Ariana and she promptly looked away from him, instead choosing to focus on the careful layout of the salad on the tray in front of her.

"Cool. Right. Irrelevant." Ariana filed that information away to deal with later. "Anyway can we please talk about something more important? Like the list?" Ariana watched as Garrett immediately straightened up, his eyes gleaming.

"Oh, yes. Right. Lucky for us, I have mad detective skills." He was talking quietly now, not that it mattered in the crowded and noisy cafeteria. It was mostly for dramatic effect, knowing Garrett.

Ariana and Violet both threw each other a look, rolling their eyes in sync.

"I saw that, you two. Anyway, I found managed to track down a couple of werewolves already. I think I found our first target." Garrett's eyes flickered between the two girls. "We've got to plan it out properly though. Werewolves are strong. Stronger than what we're used to. We need to be prepared."

Ariana furrowed her brows as her brain whirled into action. "They must have a weakness though. They have to. Maybe we can use that."

"What kind of weakness? Are we planning on taking them down with silver bullets or something?" Violet asked, her mocking tone was hushed but the frustration still seeped through loud and clear.

"No, but maybe there's something that can make them weak. Maybe I can alter my poison for them..." Ariana mused aloud. "Add in something to weaken them."

"Like what?" Violet pressed on. She always was the one who hated formulating the plans when there were so many unknown variables. She liked things to be clear and well set out.

Garrett on the other hand looked almost overly excited, like a kid on Christmas Day. "I like it. Look into it, Ari. There's got to be something you can throw in that will help us take them down. You can do it." He looked across at Ariana, who could already feel her brain whirling away with a million possibilities.

"I'll figure it out. Give me a bit of time and I'll find something. We'll take them down." She nodded firmly, steely eyed as she looked at the two other orphans. They both nodded back, their eyes mirroring her own. This was it. Ariana had been mulling over the idea of the hit list overnight. This was different to their usual mercenary jobs. There was no knowledge of providing revenge on behalf for someone who had been wronged. There was no motive beyond the money, so Ariana had her doubts. But now that they were talking about it and she had a little scientific mission to work on, she could feel the excitement kicking in. They were doing this.

They were going to take down the werewolves one at a time until the list was empty. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for getting through this slightly longer chapter! I really wanted to highlight Ariana's relationships with the orphans a little more as well as her connections outside of them, and of course introducing Liam who is going to have a lot more to do with Ariana as we go along :) 
> 
> Also please feel free to leave a review about your thoughts so far! Reviews really do help me stay motivated to keep writing so if you have a minute that would be amazing. You can also check out to my tumblr (fraysquake) for Ariana edits and chapter sneak peeks, and chat to me about her there!


	3. Poison

"Woah, uh Ariana? Are you opening up a florist?" Garrett stepped into the orphans' apartment with wide eyes as he took in the flowers strewn across the living room. There were so many bunches of bright purple flowers that it was almost hard to spot the tiny brunette bent over a big heavy book on the floor, her black leggings covered in petals and leaves. "Look, school has only been back three days and I know it's hard but that is no reason to throw away your future and resort to selling plants. You can do better, Ari."

"Shut up, Garrett. You told me to figure out how to slow down the werewolves and you are looking at my answer!" Ariana replied, her eyes too focused on the page she was reading to look up at Garrett. She knew he was probably in a state of confusion now but she was too deep into her research to focus on him properly right now. She'd been scouring through several gigantic books from the school library in an attempt to confirm her suspicions about the flowers surrounding her.

Violet had tried to get an answer out of her when she had arrived home from shopping earlier, but Ariana had barely noticed the extra voice in the room. In the end Violet had given up and made herself a bit of space at the kitchen table to do some of her reading for English. She glanced up at Garrett as he arrived, shrugging her shoulders as he turned to her with a questioning look.

"So…We're going to distract them with a bouquet of flowers?" Garrett raised an eyebrow as he closed the front door, locking it carefully behind him.

Ariana let out a huff, pushing the book away from her body as she looked up at him. Reaching across the floor, she grabbed a bunch of flowers and held them up to Garrett with a flourish.

"No, I'm going to crush these flowers into a powder and combine them with a few other ingredients and then we're going to poison the wolves. This is Nordic Blue Monkshood. Better known as Wolfsbane. It's like werewolf kryptonite."

"Only prettier!" Violet chipped in from the table, a smirk on her lips.

"That too. But mostly it's super deadly to werewolves. Or at least according to everything I've read so far. Which is a lot." Ariana folded her hands together and looked up at Garrett with a wide smile.

"Okay. So how exactly does it work though? Also, how did you get all of these? I'm guessing it wasn't from Crazy Daisy's Flowers down the street." Garrett folded his arms as he warily lowered himself onto the couch, careful not to sit on the flowers thrown across it.

"Well, apparently it can do a variety of things to wolves depending on how its used. According to this book-" Ariana lunged across the floor and grabbed another thick book layered in dust, and pulled it towards herself. "-If a wolf ingests it, it can potentially force them to shift into their wolf form. So if we need confirmation that we're dealing with a wolf, that's one way to do it. But if they are say…stabbed with something laced in wolfsbane," Ariana raised a suggestive eyebrow at Garrett, "it acts like your basic neurotoxin. I crush them, you stab them. Teamwork!"

"Hang on, neuro-what?" Chemistry really wasn't Garrett's strong suit but Ariana had kind of hoped that after watching his fellow assassin concoct her poisons over the last year that he might have learned something.

"Neurotoxin. It's like my favourite kind of poison! Come on, you should know that by now. That's the one that basically messes with the brain's communication to your muscles. One dose of a neurotoxin and your lungs can forget how to take in oxygen. I mean, not actually. It's more complex than that obviously. It's actually more about the way they take control of the ion concentrations in the cell membrane…"

Garrett's eyes were already beginning to glaze over as they did whenever Ariana started explaining the toxins she used on their mercenary jobs. "Uh-huh." He nodded, so at least he was pretending to follow her. "So this wolfsbane is going to suffocate the werewolves?

"Well yeah, kind of. It's super toxic to werewolves. I don't know why it affects them specifically since it doesn't seem to affect other animals in the same way, and none of the books seem to have a proper explanation. But yeah, the wolfsbane basically opens tetrodotoxin sensitive sodium channels in the body-"

"In English please. You and I have very different ideas of what 'basically' means." Garrett cut Ariana off.

"Ugh, you're so boring. Fine, okay well wolfsbane affects a werewolf's nerve system and messes it all up. It can paralyse them until their entire body shuts down."

"So what you are saying is that this little purple flower is mega poisonous."

"Yes. The little purple flower is mega poisonous." Ariana agreed, her tone flat. All of that exciting information and naturally Garrett only focused on that part. "But how cool is that?"

"It's very cool and we're very proud of you," Violet called out from the table, a grin slipping onto her face.

"Thanks Vi." Ariana flashed a smile at Violet. At least Violet appreciated her chemistry-related rambles.

"Right, great job Ari. But you still haven't said how you ended up with several hundred wolfsbane flowers." Garrett said, frowning slightly. "Did you steal them? Are we in debt because of your new flower obsession?"

Ariana let out a huffed laugh, shaking her head. "No, I have connections." Seeing Garrett's raised eyebrow, her eyes widened as she insisted, "I'm serious! There's a girl from my old foster care who knows a heap of werewolf hunters and she got me through to the guy that sells wolfsbane. And it wasn't too expensive. I just pulled a bit from our bank account but we'll be making it back up soon anyway." Ariana shrugged her shoulders.

Garett seemed satisfied with that response, leaning back on the couch as he fiddled with a small bunch of the purple flowers. "Alright. Well, good. Because I spent all night following this guy around town, Demarco Montana. He's worth two hundred and fifty thousand and I think we need to strike soon, in case there is anyone else in on this list."

Ariana pulled herself up from the floor and began collecting all of the flowers from around the room as Garrett started going into detail about this Demario guy's routine and how they could take him down. She was only half listening as she tidied up, since it wasn't like she would be the one killing him. Sure, this plan was different because the money was higher than their usual several hundred, and their target was supernatural, but the orphans' roles hadn't changed that much.

Ever since Garrett had found their first mercenary job a year ago, their roles had been very clear. Garrett was the organiser and strategist, doing research on the target to make sure they could be caught at the right time. He was the one mapping out the entire process, leading the way. Violet liked to be the one getting the job done, and she was inconspicuous as a young teenage girl. Nobody was going to suspect her when they passed her in the street. That left Ariana. She was the youngest of the trio and that often pushed her into the baby role, but she was also the brains of the group. She was the one creating the poisons when they knew it would be hard to get the target alone long enough to kill quickly. She was the one slowing down the target, and also the one making sure their tracks were covered every time.

By the time Garrett finished mapping out their plan to take down Demarco, Ariana had finished tidying up, leaving the flowers in a large pile on the kitchen table to be dealt with later when she had the time to crush them down properly. She didn't want to half-as this task so she needed to make sure she had the right tools to liquify the flowers enough to coat Garrett's dagger, or to be slipped into someone's cup of coffee if need be.

"So we have a plan. Any questions?" Garrett finished up his grand speech, turning to Violet, who had curled up on the chair at the table to make room for Ariana's mess, her copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ abandoned on the table beside her. Violet shook her head and turned to Ariana, who was now leaning against the kitchen counter, arms folded as she listened.

Ariana hesitated suddenly as a thought popped back up in her mind. It had been in the back of her mind ever since the hit list had been sent to them, ever since they had been recruited to take down the supernatural creatures of Beacon Hills.

"Ari?" Garrett looked at Ariana.

"No, I'm good. But actually…I was wondering," Ariana took a deep breath. She hated bringing this up but it needed to be said and this could be her one chance. "Maybe if you get the chance, before you kill Demarco, you could ask him if he knows anything about my parents." Ariana pushed the entire sentence out in a long ramble before stopping abruptly, her eyes dropping to stare at the table.

"Ari," Violet's voice was soft. "You know there was never any proof-"

"I know." Ariana snapped her head back up to look at Violet. "I know there was never any proof. I know the coroner ruled it as an animal attack. I've read the files. Too many times. I've read every single piece of information on my parents and I know there is something missing. They weren't just randomly drained of blood and left in the woods. Animals don't do that. I don't care about what anyone else says. Something supernatural did that and this is my chance to get some answers."

Her jaw was set, determination clear in her eyes as she looked between her two closest friends, daring them to defy her and shut her down. Daring them to tell her she was being ridiculous. Daring them to tell her she was crazy.

Garrett and Violet exchanged a glance before both nodding. Violet pushed a strand of dark hair out of her eyes, smiling up at Ariana, a mixture of understanding and pity apparent on her face. All three of them were orphans but at least Violet and Garrett knew what happened to their parents. It didn't make it necessarily easier but knowing that your parents died in a car crash, or in Violet's case an accidental gas leak occurring at home while she was staying at a friends' house, meant that you were able to sleep at night knowing that the case was clean and closed. Violet and Garrett had closure. Ariana had anything but that.

Ariana had been orphaned a lot earlier than her two friends, her parents involved in what the authorities liked to claim was a 'freak animal attack' when she was just one year old. But it didn't make any sense. Animals didn't attack two people only to leave the young baby tucked into the stroller from their evening walk. Animals didn't drain a body of blood and then lay them carefully side by side in the middle of the woods. It didn't add up. Ever since Ariana started asking her foster parents questions at the age of five, she had been given a variety of vague stories and uncertain explanations. As she got older and got shuffled to new foster carers, she always asked the same questions and got the same false answers. It wasn't until she found out about the existence of werewolves and the supernatural world that co-existed with her own world in Beacon Hills that she started to put the clues together.

She found out about werewolves from her older foster brother Lucas when she was eleven, who has clearly been trying to scare her with a late night story in typical big brother-type fashion. He hadn't anticipated her to perk up with high interest, her brain immediately wondering about the possibilities of a real explanation for her parents' death. Despite Lucas insisting that it was probably nothing and that the police would know if it was, Ariana refused to brush it off.

"Of course we'll ask them for you. We'll interrogate every single person on the list," Garrett said finally, a steely look in his eyes. "We're all in this together. The three of us. We look out for each other."

"Always," Violet agreed, reaching across the table to grab Ariana's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Always," Ariana repeated, ducking her head down again, this time to hide her sightly misty eyes. Garrett was right, the three of them were there for each other and Ariana felt silly for even contemplating the idea that they would reject her request. Of course they were going to help her. They would all walk through fire if it meant saving the other two. They were orphans but they had made their own family.

The little family moment was interrupted by a loud incessant beeping coming from Garrett's phone. Swearing under his breath, he fumbled around before finally pulling it out from the side of the couch where it had fallen earlier.

Ariana took the opportunity to quickly compose herself again, running a hand through her long hair as she settled into the chair next to Violet and rested her head on the other girl's shoulder. "What is it?" She asked, watching as Garrett studied his phone carefully.

"Shit. It's an email from The Benefactor. An update on the list."

"What do you mean an update? New names? More money?" Violet asked.

"No. There's a bunch of names crossed off, actually. The Walcotts. Well, three of them. Sean Walcott is still there but the other three are all crossed out. Looks like we're not the only ones in on the list after all."

"We'd better get things moving then!" Violet exclaimed, straightening up in her chair and accidentally forcing Ariana's head off her shoulder. Ariana shifted, leaning back in her chair. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and let out a sigh.

"Alright, well tomorrow we get the plan moving. But right now I need sleep. It's almost one in the morning and we have school tomorrow."

Garrett's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the clock and back at the girls.

"Oh crap, you're right. And I've got lacrosse tryouts tomorrow too and I'm way out of practice."

"Like that's going to matter. You'll ace it," Violet said with a smile. Garrett winked back, causing another eye roll from Ariana.

"Ugh, whatever. I'm going to bed. We'll work this all out tomorrow." She squeezed Violet's hand as she stood up and headed off to bed.

 

When the orphans climbed onto the school bus the next day, Ariana's mind was so focused on the hit list that she nearly missed Mason waving her from his seat.

"Ari! You okay?" He asked, a concerned look on his face as she settled into the seat next to him, Violet and Garett filing in as usual.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking about the Chemistry readings," she lied quickly, pulling her features into a convincing smile. Mason nodded easily and immediately broke into an animated story about the video game he'd been playing last night. Ariana had enough violence and drama in her own life that the idea of those sorts of video games was fairly unappealing but she enjoyed listening to Mason retell his adventures and settled back to listen to him ramble on excitedly.

By the time the bus pulled up at the high school Mason was only halfway through his story. His face fell slightly at the sight of the school, and Ariana let out a laugh, grinning at her friend.

"Aw, you can tell me the rest of the story at lunch or something."

"Nah, it's all good," Mason shrugged it off as he matched her grin. "Thanks for letting me rant about it though!"

"You coming to lacrosse practice, Mason?" Garrett called out from behind the two as they stepped off the bus.

"Nah, I've got a bit of reading before class. Dude, it's Thursday and I'm already behind." Mason rolled his eyes as the three orphans all laughed. "But I'll see you guys at lunch!" He threw them all a wave, giving Ariana a quick one armed hug before walking off towards the main building.

Since Violet and Ariana didn't have anything else to do in the morning, they figured they might as well follow Garrett to the lacrosse field and watch him practice. Violet obviously wanted to drool over him while he practiced but Ariana was just happy to do her English readings from the stands, and get some fresh air.

Violet and Ariana were halfway to the stands when Violet stopped in her tracks.

"Oh shoot, I've got Garrett's gloves in my backpack. You go find us a good spot and I'll run these to him. Make sure you get a seat as close to the action as you can." Violet winked as she turned and sprinted back towards the locker room where they had parted with Garrett.

"Ugh, fine." Ariana watched her running for a moment before turning around towards the stands. She was fully intending to hurry to an empty section, just like Violet requested, but she was rudely interrupted instead.

"Ow!" Ariana let out a cry as she collided with something solid, stumbling backwards in her tracks

"Oh my God." Well that voice was familiar. Especially since whenever Ariana seemed to hear it, she was crashing into the body of said voice.

Sure enough, Ariana froze as she looked up and locked eyes with Liam Dunbar, standing opposite her in his lacrosse gear, hair slightly sticking up, and a helmet in one hand. He stared back at her, looking equally bemused.

"We need to stop crashing into each other like this. One day one of us is going to get hurt." Ariana said, a smile slipping up one side of her mouth unintentionally.

"I-uh, I don't mind." Liam's eyes widened as soon as he spoke and Ariana got the feeling that he hadn't intended to actually say that out loud. Wait, what? Ariana's own eyes widened. Had he deliberately bumped into her? Was this flirting? Was he flirting with her? Did she want him to flirt with her? Oh God, why was Violet taking so long?

"Uh, what I mean is…Um, well I was talking to Mason and he said you're really good at Chemistry?" Liam looked thoroughly awkward as he spoke, all fidgeting hands and bouncing feet. "It's just, well I just transferred across and I already sucked at Chemistry at my old school and I don't really know what this school has already covered so I was looking for someone to catch me up…" Liam trailed off with a hopeful but uncertain look on his face, brows slightly furrowed and those big blue puppy eyes looking straight at her.

Oh, so he just needed a Chemistry tutor. Right. Of course. After all, that's what she was known for. It had only taken Ariana one semester to get a reputation for her Chemistry knowledge and now it was basically expected that if you struggled with the subject you went to Ariana before even thinking about speaking to the teacher. It was only expected that the new kid would come to her for help. Ariana forced down any possible hope for anything more as she pulled a winning smile onto her lips.

"Yeah, of course! When are you free?" She asked, shifting her weight onto one foot. Behind Liam she could see Violet had taken a different route to the stands and was now taking a seat. She had spotted Ariana and flashed a thumbs up which Ariana promptly ignored, turning deliberately back to Liam.

"Uh, I can do after school today? I mean I have lacrosse try-outs but maybe after that? Would that work? You can come back to mine if that suits you?" Liam punctuated every sentence with a distinct question mark, the uncertainty and anxiousness clear in his voice, almost as if he expected her to shut him down immediately. But she wasn't going to turn down someone who was asking for help. She might have been a teenage assassin but she wasn't heartless.

"Yeah, that works." Ariana nodded. "I can meet you back on the field if you like?"

Liam gave her a wide smile. "Awesome, yeah that's great!"

Before they could talk any further, one of the other guys on the field shouted out to Liam, waving him over impatiently as he twirled his lacrosse stick. "Liam, you playing or what?"

"Alright. Cool. Yeah. Okay, uh I'll see you later then!" Liam bobbed his head slightly, the awkwardness still clear in the air. He nodded once more before jogging onto the field. Ariana stood, frozen in position for another moment before shaking herself off and trotting over to sit by Violet.

"So…What was that all about? Tell me everything." Violet insisted as soon as Ariana sat down.

"What, that? Nothing." Ariana shook her head, her long hair blowing into her face with the wind. "He just needs a chemistry tutor."

"So he asked you to tutor him? Like he asked you on a study date?" Violet waggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"No, just a regular study session. I guess. Not a date. He definitely wasn't asking me out," Ariana said firmly, her eyes focused on Liam as he began to warm up with the other guys. She could see Garrett warming up only a few feet away from him, and frowned as Garrett looked back at her before edging over to Liam. "Oh my God what is Garrett doing?" She could see his lips moving and suddenly she was craving the power to read lips.

Violet narrowed her eyes as she followed Ariana's gaze. "Maybe he's putting in a good word for you?" She shrugged. "And come on, Liam totally asked you on a date and you are painfully oblivious!"

"What? How? He just said he needs someone to catch him up on chemistry since he's new here. And everyone knows I'm the one to go to. That's it." Ariana really didn't want to get her hopes up, especially since she hadn't realised she even had hopes of that nature until he had shot them down. Turning away from the field, she pulled out Violet's copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ that she had grabbed before they had left for school out of her backpack and flipped it open. She had intended to do some reading for English and she wasn't about to abandon that because of a confusing interaction with Liam.

"Yeah, he asked you because you're the Chemistry Queen of Beacon Hills, but he also asked you because he has the hots for you." Violet spoke as if that was an unquestionable fact but Ariana found herself with a lot of questions. Closing the book she only just opened, she turned to Violet.

"What are you on about? How could you know that?"

"Because he's been looking back at you every chance he's had ever since you sat down." Violet smirked.

Ariana narrowed her eyes at Violet before chancing a glance towards the field again. Sure enough, Liam was looking right at her. As soon as they locked eyes, he seemed to panic and quickly turned away, just in time to catch the ball Garrett had hurled his way.

"You're reading into things too much," Ariana declared loudly. "This is why you shouldn't read Shakespeare. It just puts ridiculous thoughts into your head." With a huff, she threw the book back into her bag and folded her arms. Violet let out a small laugh but didn't press the issue, instead she pulled out her phone and began texting away, apparently leaving the matter for now.

Ariana spent the rest of the lacrosse practice attempting to focus on anyone but Liam, but unfortunately he was really _really_ good, and she found herself constantly unable to look away. He was manning the goal for the other boys practicing but nobody seemed to be able to get a shot past him, not even Garrett.

"Damn, you picked a good one," Violet commented quietly, her eyes steady on the field.

"I didn't pick anyone," Ariana shot back, half distracted by a particularly good catch Liam had just made.

"Whatever. Garrett is actually struggling! This is the most entertaining lacrosse has ever been."

It was no secret that neither of the girls actually enjoyed watching lacrosse, despite Garrett's endless attempts to force them into loving it. They just watched him play because they wanted to be supportive. But this was actually sparking both girls interests and they learned forward a little further in their seats to watch as the rest of the guys on the field started to take notice of Liam's skills too.

As the practice session started to finally die down, Ariana watched Liam and Garrett standing together near the bench chatting together. They had been talking a bit in between passes and part of her was just dying to know what they were talking about. It was probably nothing, but Ariana was still curious, her eyes squinting slightly to try and make out any words.

"You are so into him, good lord," Violet commented, a laugh falling from her lips. "And he totally asked you out!"

And they were back to this. Ariana let out a huff as she stood up, not even bothering to look down at Violet who was still sitting down, enjoying her little joke.

"No, he just needs help studying. That's it," Ariana said firmly.

"You're into him," Violet said again, her voice lilting slightly as she cocked her head to the side in amusement.

"Am not." Ariana retorted. "He just needs my chemistry knowledge. He probably barely cares beyond that."

"Well if that's so then why is he walking over here now?"

"He's probably confirming our study…session." Ariana silently cursed herself for almost saying study date. It wasn't a study date. It wasn't any kind of date. Liam just needed her help with chemistry, just like every other freshman in her class. He was obviously walking over to confirm it, that's all.

Throwing a glare back at Violet, Ariana stepped away from the stands, meeting Liam almost halfway. He seemed on high alert, bouncing on the heels of his feet as he gave her a tentative but mildly adorable smile.

"Hey."

"Hi." Ariana smiled back, noting that this was their first intentional meeting now. It almost felt odd, like they had broken some kind of habit or ritual.

There was an awkward pause. Ariana waited for him to lead on, waiting for a confirmation of what he needed to work on perhaps, or maybe he was about to cancel because he'd found someone else to tutor him instead.

"So." Liam glanced back towards Garrett who was watching them with a knowing smirk. Ariana threw a withering glare back but composed her face back quickly as Liam turned to face her again, this time with a determined gleam in his eyes.

"Alright, just so we are both clear, when I said I needed help with chemistry I wasn't making that up."

Ariana furrowed her brows as she tried to follow along. "Okay…?"

"But…I also want to make sure that you knew I was definitely asking you out too."

"Oh." Ariana stared at him, her brain suddenly going into some kind of useless shock mode in the worst possible moment, rendering her speechless. Liam watched her patiently for a moment, fiddling awkwardly with his helmet.

"Uh…Is 'oh' good?" He asked finally, looking even more uncertain now. Ariana stared at him for half a second longer before she forced the shock away, nodding a little too quickly.

"No, I mean yes, oh is good! I'm good. That's good." Ariana winced inwardly. What was she doing? It wasn't like Liam was the first guy to ask her out. She'd had a few boyfriends before, but to be fair none of them had given her this weird jittery feeling in her stomach when they stared at her. Ariana took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I mean, yes."

"Awesome," Liam bobbed his head, a wide grin now on his lips. Ariana was pretty sure she had a similar expression on her own face.

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment, grinning giddily at each other. Finally Violet broke up the moment, sliding up next to Ariana with a smirk on her lips.

"Come on Ari, we've got English now. Liam, we will see you at lunch!" She linked her arm through Ariana's, giving Ariana half a second to say a hurried goodbye to Liam before pulling her away.

"Sorry but that was for your own good, and probably the good of everyone else nearby. I was about to suffocate from the awkward tension between the two of you. Ugh."

"Right, because you and Garrett aren't gross at all," Ariana muttered, glancing back at Liam who was heading over to the boys locker room, his eyes still on her. She flashed him a smile which he promptly returned, throwing her a small wave.

"We're not gross, we're the cute young couple in love and unafraid to show it. You and Liam are both shy and adorably awkward, and it's painful to watch. It's like a car crash." Violet pulled Ariana along, grinning as Ariana let out a scoff.

"Now come on Ari, we have English, then you have a date, and after that we have a wolf to take down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is a little longer than the last but I hope you enjoyed it! I wanted to give a bit more depth to the orphans and how Ariana became an orphan herself, as well as letting Lariana grow a little more, just in time for the chaos around the corner! Please leave a review if you have the time and let me know your thoughts so far! There is plenty of drama coming up very shortly so stay tuned :)


	4. Shift

By the time lunchtime rolled around Ariana had overanalysed her morning interaction with Liam approximately fourteen times and broken down their entire exchange with Violet six times before Violet got sick of her and decided to actually participate in Math class.

Ariana wasn't sure why she was so anxious about her looming date with Liam tonight. She'd been on dates before, although they were mostly back in middle school and involved awkward hand holding in the dark of the cinema, with the looming possibility of an awkward hug at the end before she was escorted back to whichever foster home she was in at the time. Eventually Ariana had decided that she didn't need a boyfriend in her life. She had been too focused on her studies anyway, and then Garrett had found their first mercenary job. After that Ariana felt like dating would be too awkward. What was she supposed to say when she talked to guys? How did she talk about her hobbies without revealing that her weekend plans usually involved concocting a poison strong enough to kill a grown man?

At least her friends now outside of the orphans were all safe from this issue. They were either like Mason, who was the type easily distracted enough to avoid questions about her life, or they weren't really close enough to Ariana in the first place. Several years of shifting between foster homes had left her fairly closed off to the world, reluctant to let people in. She was well aware of her trust issues, well aware that she could count the people she trusted on one hand. Aware and happy for it to remain that way. At least until Liam crashed into her life…

The blaring sound of the lunch bell pulled Ariana out of her thoughts and she quickly jotted down the last few notes on the board regarding their upcoming Math test, before rushing out a few steps behind Violet.

"Okay so-"

"No." Violet cut Ariana off sharply, holding a hand up. "I am not analysing Liam's words again. He asked you out. You have a date. Hooray. But I am not going over it again. Please just wait until lunchtime so you have some more material to use."

Ariana rolled her eyes as she followed Violet around the corner and into the cafeteria. They made their way down the line, grabbing their food quickly, Violet's eyes scanning the room to find Garrett. Ariana let her search, knowing that her own lack of height was going to prevent her from actually seeing over any of the other students' heads. By the smirk on Violet's lips it looked like she'd spotted them, tilting her head to indicate Ariana to follow her through the swarm of students. They pushed through the crowded room until they made it to the table where Garrett was sitting with a plate of food piled up as if he'd had a heads up on a looming apocalypse. And sitting opposite him, deep in conversation was Liam. Ah. That explained Violet's smirk.

Ariana took a deep breath, calming any nerves on the brink of arising. She made a mental note to interrogate Garrett later on what he had talked to Liam about so far. Had Liam said anything about her? Had Garrett said anything? Suddenly Ariana was regretting not discussing this earlier with Garrett. She should've at least texted him a list of what not to mention. Garrett was smart though. Ariana doubted he would accidentally reveal that they were secretly teenage assassins and that Ariana preferred creating poisons to movie dates. Still, the nerves were kicking in.

"Hey baby!" Violet said loudly, interrupting the boys' laughter as she slipped into the seat next to Garrett. That left the only spare spot next to Liam. He turned his head up, those deep blue eyes locking on Ariana.

"Hi." Liam's smile was a little hesitant, slightly lop-sided with uncertainty like he wasn't sure if Ariana would smile back. She did, her lips tilting up on their own accord as she slid into the seat next to him carefully.

"Hi." Ariana was highly aware of Garrett and Violet smirking from their side of the table and pointedly ignored them both as she fiddled with her plate of food. Liam's smile widened a little more, his eyes locked onto hers as if he couldn't look away. She knew the feeling. It was weird, the sense that she was being pulled to him, unable to break free, but it wasn't exactly a bad feeling. It was the kind of feeling she wanted to keep exploring, a thread begging her to tug on it.

Realising that this could potentially turn into an awkward staring match and not feeling too keen about their audience sitting across from them, Ariana quickly racked her brain for a safe conversation starter.

"So, what were you two talking about before we got here?" There, that seemed like a safe question.

Sure enough, Garrett and Liam dove straight back into their discussion about the lacrosse tryouts, Garrett's eyes lighting up as he continued filling Liam in on the competition and the players they were up against. From the sound of it he'd been running through the players from last season, giving Liam a heads up on the competition he'd be up against later today.

Ariana settled into her seat as the boys talked and she found herself quite content watching the way Liam's face lit up at the talk of lacrosse. It reminded her a bit of how she felt when she talked about chemistry. His eyes were wide with enthusiasm, glancing across to Ariana every few moments to see if she was following along. She was, barely, but she was content to just watch him, not knowing nearly enough to actually contribute to the conversation. Instead, she let herself watch Liam, drinking in all of his features.

"Yeah so Danny was goalie but he's gone, so that position is definitely open. And then there's Scott McCall who was co-captain last season. He's definitely got skills but he's pretty cool." Garrett shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, his admiration for his lacrosse captain trying to suppress itself but Ariana saw right through it.

"Scott? Wait, he's the one who cornered me after practice this morning," Liam had straightened up suddenly, frowning across the table at Garrett. The orphans all looked at Liam in confusion. "Yeah, him and his friend…Uh Stiles? Yeah they were basically interrogating me. It was really weird."

"Oh yeah, just ignore Stiles." Garrett shrugged his shoulders. "He's kind of weird but he's alright. It's probably just some initiation thing since you're a transfer. They probably heard you're from Davenport and they're trying to suss you out." He flashed a grin at Liam, who just shook his head with a laugh.

As Garrett and Liam continued their conversation, Ariana found her mind whirling away. Something about what they had just had said was sticking out but she couldn't quite place it. Then it hit her. _Scott McCall_. She'd seen that name before. Right next to a very hefty figure.

_Scott McCall 25m_.

He was on the hit list. Not only that, he was the highest priced person on the list. How had they not picked up on that? Garrett had spent the entire morning playing lacrosse on the field only metres away from the most wanted person on their hit list.

Ariana's eyes widened as the realisation sunk in and she locked eyes with Violet across the table. _'Scott McCall. On Hit list.'_ She mimed as discreetly as possible, doing her best to avoid catching Liam's attention. Violet narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at Ariana. Then it must have clicked because she sat up a little straighter in her seat, giving Ariana a short but sharp nod, before turning back to the boys, eyes wide. They'd definitely be discussing this tonight.

 

After lunch Ariana was pleased to find Liam walking along beside her, their shoulders brushing gently as they headed back to their lockers to grab their books for their next classes. It was oddly comfortable, like they had walked together a hundred times. Or perhaps she was just used to the sensation of bumping shoulders with Liam after their first few meetings.

"So…how come you're so good at chemistry?" He asked suddenly, a curious look in his eyes.

"Oh, um…I don't really know. I guess it just comes naturally to me. It just makes sense." Ariana shrugged. She never really knew how to answer that question, despite half the freshman class constantly begging her to share her secret. "I know, it's a weird thing to be good at," she said as she ducked her eyes down. Being the chemistry wiz was handy when it came to passing class but it didn't exactly add to her cool factor. Add that onto being a foster kid and Ariana sounded like a real winner.

"No, I think it's really cool. I mean, I suck at Chem but I think it's really cool that you're so smart."

"So you just asked me out to get to my Chemistry notes, then?" Ariana asked, a cheeky lilt to her voice as she cocked her head to look at him.

Liam seemed shocked at the suggestion, his blue eyes widening in horror. "Oh God, no. No I swear. I just…" He hesitated as they reached her locker. Ariana kept her eyes on him as she twisted the lock and swung the locker open, waiting for him to continue.

Liam took a deep breath, his eyes now staring intently at her locker door. "I just thought you were really cute and I wanted to get to know you." He said shyly, still refusing to look back at her.

Ariana bit back a wide smile. "Oh. Well I want to get to know you too." She said, pushing back any hesitations and reaching out to brush her hand against his. His eyes shot down to their hands, and a wide smile slipped up onto his face as he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"Cool." Liam turned his smile up to her. "Um, so I've got lacrosse tryouts after school. But I'll meet you after and we can go from there?"

"Of course. Maybe I could come watch you? Give you some extra support?" Ariana bit her lip, totally unsure of what the protocol was here. They weren't really dating yet. They weren't really anything yet. They were on the brink of maybe something but that would depend on how tonight's date went.

Liam seemed pleased at her suggestion. "Yeah, that would be cool!" He bobbed his head up and down, his hand giving hers another squeeze.

The sound of the bell made them both jump slightly, pulling them out their little world. Liam flashed her another bright grin before rushing off, his backpack jostling slightly as he disappeared into the crowd. Ariana watched him disappear, flexing her hand slightly as the sensation of his hand in hers lingered.

 

Watching lacrosse tryouts were about as dull as watching an actual match, but Ariana found a small bit of pleasure in watching Liam dominate the field. She could practically sense the tension in the air as the older boys threw everything they had into their passes, while Liam seemed to play with a sense of ease.

Ariana was so busy watching Liam, beaming as he glanced back up at her with a small wave, that she was almost oblivious to Violet and Mason chatting away beside her. Mason was there to ogle at the lacrosse players too of course, but it turned out he had most of his classes with Liam so far and he already had some inside scoop. So far he had confirmed that Liam definitely had a major crush on Ariana and yes, he definitely needed help in Chemistry, although Mason was quick to point out that since he had known Ariana longer it only seemed fair that she prioritised Mason when it came to sharing her notes.

"Come on Ari, I've saved you a seat on the bus enough to earn this." Mason said, leaning over from beside Violet with a pleading look on his face. "I deserve those notes. I will fail without those notes. Your notes are literally my lifeline to passing this class."

"I thought you were saving that seat because you wanted to spend your mornings with me?" Ariana threw Mason a mock glare, switching to a grin as he slumped back in defeat.

"I'm never going to win this," Mason declared, turning his attention back to the tryouts. Violet let out a hum of agreement, her eyes now focused on Garrett as he stepped forward in front of the rest of the boys, twirling his lacrosse stick with his usual cocky air.

As the tryouts continued Ariana's eyes scanned the field, coming to rest on Scott McCall. He wasn't playing very well so far, which seemed odd considering he was captain. Ariana watched him closely, her mind going back to his name on their hit list. What was he and why was he listed so high? Her eyes narrowed as she watched Scott and his friend talking quietly together, their eyes focused on Liam. Something about the way they looked at him made Ariana nervous, like she needed to warn him, but she was too far away to do anything. Instead Ariana ignored the odd tingling on the back of her neck and bit her lip nervously, eyes darting towards Liam.

Sure enough, only seconds later Ariana watched as Scott leaped in the air, tackling Liam to the ground. Ariana didn't need to be close to the action to hear the sickening crack, quickly followed by Liam's loud groan of pain.

"LIAM!" Ariana leaped to her feet as a swarm of guys flocked around Liam, who had collapsed on the ground, one hand clutching at his leg.

Violet's hand flew over her mouth as she stood up next to Ariana, craning her head to get a look at what was happening. "Holy crap."

"Uh, that doesn't look good," Mason mused, a frown setting on his dark features. Ariana ignored the two of them, pushing past their bodies to get out of their row and out towards Liam. Mason realised what she was doing a second too late, reaching out a hand to grab her. "Wait, Ari-"

But Ariana was already moving away from the stands and onto the field. She sprinted across to where Liam was now standing, being held up by Scott and his friend Stiles, his face contorted into an expression of pain. "Oh my god, Liam, are you okay? Are you alright?" She asked as she reached him, ignoring the two older boys on either side of him.

He pulled a smile onto his lips but it clearly cost him a lot of effort. "Ariana, yeah I'm alright. Don't worry, I'm good."

"We're just taking him to first aid, but he might need to be checked at the hospital. He'll be fine though," Scott explained from Liam's left side. Ariana narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but he and Stiles were carrying Liam away before she could protest.

Liam tilted his head back to her with an apologetic expression. "I'll text you later!" He called back. She offered him a smile and watched as he was hoisted away, leaving her standing there, alone.

"Hey, he'll be fine," Garrett said, suddenly sliding up next to Ari with his lacrosse stick still in hand. "He's tough."

"I know. It's just- well we were meant to have our date after your tryouts," Ariana sighed, leaning into Garrett as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. So much for all the excitement and nerves for that first date.

"You will! In the meantime we'll have extra time to plan out our first wolf takedown," Garrett said, grinning.

 

Well Garrett was right about the extra time. In fact, they ended up having the entire night because Liam never ended up texting Ariana. At first she assumed the hospital was holding him up, but after a few hours she had come to terms with the truth. Liam had stood her up. There was no way he wouldn't have access to his phone for this long. Even just a quick apology would have been nice. Instead, all Ariana received was silence.

Despite the other orphans trying to distract her with their plans and increasingly ridiculous theories about Scott McCall, Ariana ended up having an early night, choosing to sulk in her room instead. She couldn't even the energy to care about the next name crossed off the hit list, Sean Walcott being taken down by another assassin. Sure, it was annoying but Ariana was too deep in her own sulking to care. She sunk herself down onto her small single bed, shifting until she was under the white thin quilt, curling herself up into a small ball of self pity.

Her room was fairly small, the smallest of the three bedrooms in the apartment, but she didn't really spend a lot of time in it so she didn't tend to notice. Having grown up switching foster homes so frequently, she'd never gotten into the habit of decorating her bedroom and this was no exception either. There was a pile of dirty clothes building up on the floor next to the bed, and a few photos of Ariana with friends (mostly Garrett and Violet) stuck on the wall opposite the bed in a disorganised collage. The photos cheered her up considerably as her eyes wandered over them before she fell asleep. The photos were a reminder that even if she was stood up, she wasn't alone. Even if Liam was playing some weird cruel joke on her, setting her up for disappointment, at least she had Garrett and Violet.

 

"I'm not watching another movie on a Friday night," Garrett complained, throwing a look back at Ariana as she followed him and Violet off the bus the next day, Mason only a few paces behind. Ariana and Violet glanced at each other, both letting out a small laugh. "Mason, there's gotta be something going on."

"Dude, you remember we're freshman right? We just got off a school bus. We're not exactly going to be hitting the clubs until four am." Mason nudged Ariana's shoulder in attempt to pull a smile onto her lips. She let herself be jostled, her eyes too busy scanning the crowd of students for any sign of Liam. Mason had allowed her irritated silence during the ride to school but apparently now he was attempting cheer-up mode. She had a feeling he wasn't going to be successful. If Garrett and Violet had both failed there really wasn't much hope for anyone.

"Come on, we need something to distract Ari from her misery!" Garrett said, raising an eyebrow at her as if he had just read her thoughts.

"I'm not miserable! I'm just…" Ariana paused, sighing. "I don't know. I just got my hopes up, that's all. It's dumb. Forget it."

"Okay, movie at your place. Nine." Violet narrowed her eyes at Mason until he relented with a nod. "Great!" She squeezed Ariana's arm, eliciting a hint of a smile from the small girl. "See? Now you've got no excuse to wallow around tonight."

"I literally just said no movie…" Garrett trailed off as Violet threw him a glare. "I mean, sounds great! I'll bring the popcorn!"

Ariana could see right through the two orphans, which was surprising since the three of them were supposed to be excellent liars. Maybe it was just because she knew them too well, she could read Garrett and Violet like they were a pair of chemistry textbooks. It was all just an attempt to distract her, to keep her from sitting around for the second night in a row. She appreciated their good intentions, but right now Ariana was quite comfortable sitting in her state of disappointment.

As Violet dragged Garrett off, Ariana turned to look up at Mason. "Well, your turn to lay on the pity. Off you go." She sighed.

"Wha-who me? Never." Mason laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. Ariana gave him a glare and he glanced down at the ground with a huff. "Okay fine, I just feel bad! But maybe you just need to talk to Liam!"

"I don't want to talk to him today. I wanted to talk to him yesterday. He couldn't even send me a text? A quick _'Hey Ariana my leg is broken so rain check?'_ Nope. Nothing. Silence." Ariana folded her arms, hugging them to her chest.

"He probably just got caught up at the hospital last night." Mason offered in an attempt to placate Ariana, clearly sensing her rising agitation. "I mean it was a pretty bad injury. I'm sure he has an explanation-" Mason was cut off as Liam himself suddenly appeared, practically colliding with the pole Mason had been leaning on. "Oh hey, Liam! You're here!" He turned to Ariana, raising his eyebrows hopefully.

"Hey," Liam puffed out, leaning on the pole as he caught his breath.

"We…uh we missed you on the bus! How did you get here?" Mason asked, eyes flickering between Liam and Ariana awkwardly. Ariana was making a pointed effort to stare away, while Liam kept his own gaze on Ariana, a worried expression already forming. Well at least he wasn't blind.

"Uh, I ran."

"You ran? So your leg is fine then," Ariana said sharply, her focus flicking back to him. He seemed a bit scattered and on edge, probably because of her scary expression right now. If his leg was so fine then what had stopped him from texting her last night? She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment as he floundered, unable to think of a reasonable excuse.

Letting out an irritated huff Ariana threw up a hand and turned on her heel, brushing past Liam as she marched off. She let her shoulder push against his with a little extra force, smirking to herself as he stumbled back a step.

Unfortunately her next class was Chemistry. With Liam. Part of her hoped she could continue avoiding him and her plan seemed to be going well as she slunk into her usual seat next to Violet in the lab and flipped her notebook open.

Ariana was so focused on her chemistry notes, her eyes triple checking for any errors before she could start sharing them around, that she completely missed Violet sneaking out of her seat, leaving it spare for someone else to slide in. Which meant she was completely unprepared for Liam to suddenly appear next to her.

"Hi," he said, eyes widening as she jumped slightly in her seat. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

Ariana pointedly ignored him, choosing to scan her eyes around the room until she spotted Violet sitting in Liam's seat next to Mason. Violet mouthed a quick _Sorry_ before turning to face Mason. How rude.

"Uh, so uh since we didn't get to have our date last night, what are you doing tonight?" Liam asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Ariana bit back a smile, forcing her face to remain stoic. "Tonight? Well since I spent last night getting stood up, I think I'll spend my Friday night with people that actually want to hang out with me," she said flatly. She wasn't an idiot. She knew Liam had probably been stuck in the hospital all night but she was determined to stay bitter.

Liam ducked his head down, acknowledging the blow. "I'm sorry, I just- it was a bad night. Trust me, it was just…yeah. But I'm really sorry and I want to make it up to you. Honestly," he pleaded, leaning closer to her.

Ariana raised one eyebrow, refusing to be moved by his big puppy eyes. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Well…there's a party tonight. It's at Lydia Martin's lake house. Maybe we could go, hang out there?"

"Lyda Martin's? How are we going to get in there?"

"Well I already got invited…" Liam shrugged his shoulders. He clearly didn't realise the importance of Lydia Martin's parties. She was the it girl and even a freshman like Ariana knew that Lydia's parties were the best parties.

"How did you get invited to a Lydia party? You've been here barely a week," Ariana said skeptically.

Liam shrugged again, looking like he wasn't really sure either. "Uh, well Kira Yukimura sort of invited me-"

"Hang on, so another girl invited you to a party?" Ariana rolled her eyes. He was doing a terrible job at apologising right now.

"No, it's not like that! She's friends with some of the guys on the lacrosse team. That's all." Liam rubbed a hand over his face, looking thoroughly annoyed at himself. "Look, I really want to hang out with you and apparently everyone is going to this party so if you get sick of me you can go hang out with someone else." He gave her a lop-sided smile as he watched her carefully.

Ariana paused for a moment before sighing. "Fine." She pursed her lips as Liam's face broke out into a wide grin. "Okay! But this was strike one. You'd better not stand me up again."

"I won't. I swear I'll be there this time." Liam grinned as the teacher entered the room, hushing everyone as she began the class. The rest of the class flew by with Ariana finding herself struggling to pay attention to the teacher properly, instead her senses were picking up on every movement from Liam sitting next to her. She was determined not to give him too much hope, biting down a smile whenever they locked eyes, but she knew it was hopeless. She was already waiting for the party to begin, just as eager for this date as Liam, despite the front she was attempting to maintain. She was a goner.

 

Finally several hours later Ariana was stepping across the threshold of Lydia Martin's lake house. She immediately lost sight of her friends in the crowd as everyone swarmed inside. Great. Violet and Garrett had probably snuck off to make out and Mason was probably off surrounding himself with cute lacrosse players. Garrett had been over the moon at the chance to go to a party tonight instead of watching another movie, and even more excited when Ariana reminded him of Demarco Montana's job delivering kegs. It was almost like fate. Of course now that Ariana was left standing solo she had a feeling that plan had come to an abrupt halt.

Ariana wandered through the swarm of people, picking up a drink of something bitter in the kitchen before moving along again, tugging at her white lace dress awkwardly. It was a little shorter than she was used to but Violet had demanded she wear it tonight to impress Liam, and she had eventually relented. Not that she could find him anywhere.

A few laps of the party confirmed that Liam was definitely not around, which was weird since he had invited her. But he definitely wasn't anywhere to be seen, leaving Ariana feeling rejected for the second time in two days. Well, she knew how to take a hint. Still, it was puzzling. Why would he invite her but not show up?

Another glance around made Ariana realise that someone else was missing too. Kira Yukimura. The girl who had invited Liam. They were both missing from the party. Ariana's brain went into its usual theory mode. Well Liam had stood her up for the second time in a row, and he was clearly off somewhere with Kira now. Maybe Kira was the reason Liam had ditched her the night before too.

"He's here," Violet hissed into Ariana's ear, appearing out of nowhere. Her red cup tipped dangerously close to Ariana's dress as she leaned close.

Ariana gently nudged the cup upwards to prevent a spillage as she looked up at Violet with a frown. "Liam? So he is here after all? Is he with _her_?"

"Who? No, not Liam - it's the guy!" Violet widened her eyes, as if that was supposed to explain it all. She was useless at discretion. Half the time she just ended up making her statements so vague that Ariana had no clue what she was talking about.

"Who is the guy? What are you on about?" Ariana asked impatiently.

"Him. Demarco Montana. He delivered the keg just now. He just headed back outside! It's showtime." Violet had a wicked gleam in her eyes as she pulled away from Ariana to catch her expression.

Ariana let a small smirk slip up her lips as she reached into her purse. Her fingers brushed against the small vile of crushed wolfsbane. "Alright, let's do this."

As they made their way through the crowd of students and headed for the front door, Ariana spotted Garrett and gave him a small nod. He smirked back before turning back to chat to one of the other lacrosse boys, phone twirling away in one hand. They all knew the drill. As soon as Violet snapped a photo of the dead body, Garrett would forward it to the Benefactor and they would get rich. As simple as a basic chemistry equation.

The two girls slipped out to the driveway, tucking themselves behind the side of the house to avoid being seen. The driveway was empty, lucky for them. Well, empty apart from the man making his way over to his car. He was taller than Ariana had anticipated, wearing a light brown shirt and pants. He looked like an ordinary guy, which was even more unsettling. Ariana had assumed he would look more animalistic, but he looked just like an average guy.

Ariana took a deep breath as as she stepped out from the wall, vile of wolfsbane ash held firmly in her hands. She approached Dermarco from behind, footsteps careful and soft on the asphalt. He was too focused on pulling his keys out of his pocket to hear her approaching. As soon as she reached him, she let out a light cough, loud enough to catch his attention. He whirled around, one hand resting on his car as he looked down at her.

"Oh, sorry you scared me. Can I help yo-" He began to speak but Ariana was already tipping a handful of the purple ash into her palm. She blew it straight up into his face, stepping closer to him to make sure the ash landed on him as much as possible. He let out a choked gasp, stumbling backwards in shock.

Ariana took a quick step away from him warily, watching as the man fell to his knees with a groan. It only took a few seconds before his eyes took on a gold glow, so unnatural it seemed horrifying to the small girl. Her nerves were thrown into overdrive as Demarco thrust his hands out in front him, revealing long grotesque claws. He seemed too terrified to fight back, which suited Ariana just fine as she took in the horror in front of her. So the powder worked. Not only had it forced him to shift, but he seemed weak, like he couldn't try and fight her if he wanted to. He was clutching his claws to his body as he coughed and gasped.

She'd never actually seen a werewolf in person before and he was every bit as awful as she had pictured, suddenly so far from human she was surprised he was able to even make eye contact with her. But he did, eyes staring straight up into her own.

"What did you do? Why are you doing this?" He asked, his rough voice pleading with her.

Ariana looked down at him in disgust, pursing her lips as she took in his wolf-like features. "I've got a few questions for you, that's all," she said, toying with the vile in her hands. It still had a bit of ash remaining, and she watched as Demarco eyed it nervously. "Does the name Petrakis mean anything to you?" She asked.

The werewolf looked back up at her, a confused expression on his features. "What? No I've never heard that name!"

Ariana narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure? Absolutely positive?"

"Yes, I swear! I've never heard that name. Why? What do you want?" he asked, wincing as a growl slipped out of his throat.

Ariana bit her lip as she watched him closely. She was generally pretty good at reading people, particularly if they were lying. It was a handy skill to have as an assassin. This werewolf seemed to be telling the truth, his eyes steady on hers as he gasped for breath.

"Well if you're absolutely sure. I guess I don't want anything else from you. I'm done." Ariana announced, giving him a smirk as she raised her voice slightly and stepped away.

Violet stepped out from around the corner right on cue, her necklace twirling in one hand menacingly. "About damn time. My turn!" She smirked as she strutted up to the werewolf, her black heeled boots clacking against the asphalt. She wasted no time, quickly wrapping her necklace around the werewolf's neck before he could move and pulling it against his neck tightly.

Ariana turned away delicately, eyes drifting shut as the sound of the wolf's choked breaths filled up the silent driveway. Finally there was a dull thud and a sigh of satisfaction from Violet.

"Done. One less nasty werewolf." Violet declared as Ariana turned spun again. Ariana wrinkled her nose at the sight of the head lying several feet away from the werewolf's body, blood trickling onto the asphalt. This was definitely not a glamorous job. Still, it wasn't like he was really human so at least she didn't need to feel too bad about aiding in the kill.

"Gross. Okay, just hurry up and take the photo," Ariana said impatiently, edging away from the trickle of blood that was getting dangerously close to her tan boots.

"Fine," Violet huffed, pulling her phone out to snap a few photos of the dead body lying in front of them. Stuffing her phone back into the pocket of her light blue jeans, she smirked at Ariana. "Now let's get back to that party! You've got a boy to hunt down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whew sorry that chapter got a bit longer than I anticipated! Hopefully it didn't feel to rushed though since there was a fair bit going on! Let me know how you found it! And you can find sneak peeks and Ariana edits on my tumblr (fraysquake) so be sure to go check me out there and say hi! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter :)


	5. Secrets

The Benefactor was certainly efficient, confirming the wire transfer only a few minutes after Garrett had confirmed the werewolf's death. Within the span of a few minutes Ariana and her friends suddenly had several thousand dollars. Just like that.

Well, to be fair Ariana and Violet had just killed a man so it wasn't 'like that', but it was relatively easy compared to some of their assassin jobs in the past. There had been no prolonged fake flirting with an older man, and the poison Ariana had made up from the wolfsbane flowers was much easier to make than some of her previous concoctions. It was almost hard to comprehend how easy it had actually been. Suddenly Ariana could just relax, knowing that their financial situation was a little more stable. It didn't mean that they were going to stop now by any means, but it did give Ariana comfort to know that they had enough money to keep paying her foster brother rent for the foreseeable future.

"Whoever this person is, I could kiss them right now," Violet said excitedly, keeping her voice soft so the other party-goers wouldn't overhear. She wore a gleeful grin on her face as she glanced between Garrett and Ariana.

"Well how about you settle for me instead?" Garrett asked, matching her grin. Violet willingly complied, leaning over to press her lips to his.

Ariana rolled her eyes. "Gross, as usual. At least we know money hasn't changed either of you," she commented drily. The couple ignored her, leaning into each other. Ariana waited for a moment but it was pretty obvious they were too focused on not coming up for air to remember her presence. "Aaaaaaand that's my cue to leave," she muttered under her breath as she turned on her heels and walked off.

And now she found herself alone again, surrounded by people but no one to talk to. She couldn't really see anyone else she knew well enough, since Liam was still nowhere to be found. She was half tempted to try calling him or sending him a text, but the other half of her was too annoyed at him standing her up twice to even think about talking to him. Instead she settled for wandering around and observing the party atmosphere and doing some people-watching.

It was amusing watching her fellow students stumbling around all because of a few chemicals. Alcohol was a weird thing. Ariana had contemplated having a drink herself, after all everyone else was drinking underage so she wouldn't feel guilty, but she'd already done one illegal thing tonight and she was content just watching everyone else around her losing control of themselves.

Well, she was content until a piercing voice broke her out of her silent observations.

"Well, well, well, look it's little baby Ari looking out of place as usual."

Ariana let out a long suffering sigh as she turned on her heels at the sound of her name falling from familiar lips. Sure enough, there she was in all her usual cruel glory. Siobhan Brady, dark hair falling in soft curls next to her face, which was covered in her usual heavy make up, dark purple lipstick emphasising her pouting lips. She was part of Lydia's old clique from before Lydia had gone a little crazy and fallen off the radar. Siobhan had stayed sane and taken over role of Bitch in high heels, clacking her kitten heels down the halls of Beacon Hills.

Siobhan had made it her life's mission to torment the freshman, particularly Ariana. Ariana was a bit of an easy target with her small circle of friends giving her a bit of a loner status, not to mention the fact that she was a proud science geek. She might as well have worn a sign that said 'Bully Me!' on her chest. Still, she had enough attitude to hold her own against Siobhan which only made Siobhan more determined to knock her down.

"Siobhan," Ariana started, dragging out the 'Vawn' with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"Well, I'd like to know how you got into this party for one thing." Siobhan smirked, cocking her head to one side as she looked Ariana up and down. "Are you lost?"

"I was invited." Ariana said, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

"Invited? By who? Greenberg? Don't flatter yourself, he hits on all the freshman."

"No, by Liam. New guy. He plays lacrosse," Ariana said quickly.

"Oh, the new lacrosse prodigy? Interesting. So where is he, then? Did he realise what a loser you are and went off to find someone normal?" Siobhan raised her eyebrows mockingly.

Ariana narrowed her eyes at Siobhan. "No, he's just…" She faltered, her irritation at his absence making it too hard to come up with an actual excuse for him.

Siobhan smirked again. "Thought so. Well I've officially been standing here for too long. Have fun finding your little boyfriend and whoever he's wrapped around by now." Seemingly satisfied with her torment of Ariana, Siobhan sauntered away to join her fellow juniors, not even giving Ariana a backwards glance.

"Ugh," Ariana huffed to herself, watching as Siobhan joined her little clique again. Why did she have to be so frustrating? Ariana moved across to lean against a free space of wall, eyes flicking around the party for any sign of those familiar blue eyes, but it was no use. Liam was definitely absent, and he hadn't even bothered to send her a text. Instead Ariana was stuck wandering around the party alone, waiting for Garrett and Violet to resurface from each other so they could all leave.

 

Garrett and Violet were oddly quiet on the drive home from the party. Ariana briefly wondered if they'd had a fight at some point before she'd found them, but they were exchanging too many silent glances to be fighting. Violet and Garrett had a very specific way of arguing and it usually involved a lot of passive aggressive comments. Neither of them were particularly good at pulling the silent treatment.

Something was definitely wrong, and they were obviously hiding it from her. Still, Ariana was determined to mope for the rest of the night and that took priority over any secrets the other two orphans were hiding. Whatever they were hiding would still be there tomorrow, once she'd had a substantial amount of time to sulk and process the feeling of rejection.

As soon as Garrett parked the car, Ariana made her way up the front porch steps and slunk into her bedroom, ignoring Violet's protests from behind her. The sooner she could get into bed and fall asleep, the sooner this whole night could be over and she could move on. Part of her knew that Garrett and Violet probably wanted to celebrate their successful kill, one step closer to riding the town of supernatural freaks, but being stood up had taken any of the joy out of Ariana.

"Ari, come on, Liam's an idiot anyway. You can do better!" Violet's voice called out from behind Ariana as she tried to catch up to her.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ariana called back as she swung her bedroom door shut and leaned against it. Letting out a long sigh, she rested her head against the door, closing her eyes. It had been so long since she'd been interested in anyone and the moment she felt ready to start something, she got rejected twice. Well that what was she got for trying to put herself out there.

"Vi. Come on. We need to tell her." Garrett's voice drifted through the crack under the door, soft and concerned. Ariana froze, frowning at the door in confusion.

"No, it can wait." Violet hissed back.

"It really can't. We need to tell her now." Garett said urgently, and Ariana could hear his feet padding back and forth in the lounge area.

"No she doesn't. At least wait until tomorrow. Let her crash for tonight."

"Fine, but the longer we wait the worse it will be. She's not an idiot, Violet."

"She'll be fine. She's strong. We'll get some answers and then we'll talk."

Ariana heard Garrett let out a huff, apparently ending the conversation. She was half tempted to swing her door open, to demand answers. The three orphans never kept secrets from each other. It was an unspoken promise that they were always there for each other, always honest. But still, Ariana hesitated, one hand on the door knob. As much as she wanted to confront her friends, to know the secret they were hiding, she still trusted them. If they were keeping something from her, it had to be for a reason.

Ariana dropped her hand from the door, stepping away with a sigh. Honestly she didn't have the energy to confront them tonight even if she wanted to. Instead, she climbed into her bed, ready for another long night of replaying every interaction with Liam so far until she was too tired to think anymore.

 

The next day Ariana allowed herself to sleep in until eight am before she hauled her body out of bed and padded out into the kitchen, phone in one hand. Garrett was still asleep, taking the opportunity to sleep in while he could, but Violet was wide awake, already dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. She was sitting at the kitchen table, a bowel of cereal sitting half untouched in front of her as she scrolled through her phone.

"Vi, come on don't go wasting good milk on us," Ariana said as a way of greeting as she pulled out her own bowel and began pouring cereal into it. "I mean I know we're rich now and we can totally afford milk but I'd rather not let the money go to our heads just yet."

Violet wordlessly scooped up a spoonful of cereal, too busy looking at her phone to reply. She was reading something intently, eyes glued to the tiny screen like she was about to find out the winner of America's Next Top Model, a slight crease in her brow as she focused on whatever she was looking at.

Ariana rolled her eyes as she sunk into the chair opposite Violet, wincing as it creaked slightly upon receiving her weight. They definitely needed new furniture if the chairs couldn't even hold her tiny body. She began eating her breakfast quietly, her mind still mulling over the events of last night. She was broken out of her thoughts as her phone buzzed though, vibrating against the table and causing Violet to whip her head up.

"Who is it?" Violet asked, instantly curious. Ariana shrugged as she picked up her phone, and immediately frowned as she read the text on the screen.

**FROM: LIAM**

_hey so so so sorry about last night! ! ! ! !_

_something came up and didnt have my phone! ! !_

_really sorry! ! ! ! let me make it up to you?_

"It's Liam," Ariana finally said after reading the message a few times. Part of her was relieved to know he was alive at least, but it was still a poor excuse. What exactly had come up? Why invite her to a party and then ditch her? What had been so important that he had to blow her off twice in a row? His text gave her no answers, other than a confirmation that he was an idiot who liked to abuse the exclamation point.

Violet straightened up at the mention of Liam, an odd look crossing her face. "What?"

"Liam. He just texted me." Ariana sighed, sliding her phone across the table to Violet. Violet relaxed slightly, her eyes quickly scanning the text. Ariana felt her legs jiggling under the table as she waited for a reaction. "I mean, do I even reply? What am I supposed to that?"

Violet snapped her head back up. "Well duh, don't reply. He's a jerk. Let him stew and then when you see him tomorrow you can shut him down in person." She sat back in her chair with a smug grin.

"Who are we shutting down?" Garrett's voice interrupted them, slightly distorted as he yawned in the middle of his question.

"Liam just texted Ari." Violet said, giving Garrett a raised eyebrow that seemed to have another meaning but Ariana was still only half awake and too thrown by the text to really process it.

Garrett halted in his path into the kitchen, glancing between the girls. He looked slightly ridiculous, hair all disheveled and sticking up around his face, and his pyjamas all wrinkled. Not to mention the vaguely stunned expression on his face. "Oh. Right," he said, with a short nod. "And what did he say?"

"Nothing. Just a lame excuse. Apparently 'something came up' last night."

"Funny, isn't that what he said last time?" Garrett asked, sinking into the seat next to Violet. Ariana nodded wordlessly, her irritation clear all over her face. She knew it was dumb to get mad at someone when you weren't even really dating yet, but surely she deserved a better excuse than that. Garrett studied Ariana for a moment. "Well, screw him. He's an idiot. Say the word and I'll take him down. I didn't get to help kill Demarco and my dagger is starting to feel neglected…"

That pulled a half smile onto Ariana's face and she ducked her head down, shaking it softly. "You're an idiot. I'm fine," she said, staring at the table. "I just…I want to forget about last night. I'm going to shower and then I'm going to do some readings for Chemistry tomorrow," she said decisively.

 

By late afternoon Ariana had gone through almost all of her Chemistry homework. She'd jotted down her own notes regarding the chemical equations, making sure her handwriting was as neat as possible. She'd use her notes to help explain the homework to the other confused freshmen later when they no doubt flocked to her. Ariana really didn't see what what was so hard to understand though. It was just a matter of remembering the law of conservation of mass. Simple.

She finally closed her textbook with a soft thud and rested her head on the kitchen table with a sigh, just as Garrett emerged from his bedroom, laptop in hand. He had finally showered and had a look of determination in his eyes, a look she knew well enough by now to indicate that he was preparing for a job.

"Alright. Time to work. Where's Vi?" he asked, easing himself onto the couch and glancing around the room.

"Here," Violet said, suddenly appearing from behind the open fridge door with a bowl of grapes in one hand. Ariana hadn't even realised they had grapes in the house. Violet smirked at the other two as she swung the fridge shut, holding out the bowl to Ariana who grabbed a few grapes quickly. Violet then made her way over to the couch, sitting next to Garrett. "Hit me with it!"

Garrett jerked his head towards Ari, indicating for her to join them. She gave another sigh as she pulled her body out of her chair, moving away from the kitchen area. Reaching over to grab another grape from Violet, she perched herself on the arm of the couch next to Garrett and waited for him to begin.

"Alright, so we're going after another wolf tonight. Carrie Hudson." Garrett said, pulling up the file he had on her. He hit a few keys on the laptop, clicking around until he had her photo up. She looked younger than Ariana had expected, with long blonde hair. The werewolf was smiling in the photo, a hand thrown up in a peace sign, a typical social media profile photo. She didn't look like a threat. But that just went to show how easily these supernatural freaks were flying under the radar, going unnoticed by the rest of the town.

"So what do we already know? Remind me?" Ariana asked, scrolling through the several pages of research Garrett had compiled into the document. Garrett was nothing if not thorough.

"Well, she's about twenty three. Keeps mostly to herself. Werewolf beta, which means she is part of a pack. Worth five hundred thousand, so a bit of a step up from Demarco. Likes to do her grocery shopping at night to avoid people. So she's basically a walking target for us. Which is great." Garrett grinned, placing his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair, cockiness practically oozing off him.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Violet asked, eyes gleaming. She was rubbing her hands together in anticipation, eager to confirm all the details so they could get moving. Garrett glanced over at Ariana and they shared a smirk at Violet's eagerness.

"Easy there, tiger. I think this is going to be pretty straight forward. So we can probably afford to have a bit of fun too," Garrett said, his smirk growing. "We go for her tonight when she goes to do her weekly shopping. I'm thinking you can chase her for a bit, see if you can corner her near the school, and then I can be the decoy getaway car. She'll panic and get in the car if she's desperate. And then I go for the kill. Ariana, you make up a poison for my dagger and we can test that out."

Violet nodded, seemingly satisfied with the plan. She always did love the chase, even if it meant she didn't get the final kill shot. However Ariana was less convinced, frowning as she processed everything Garrett had just said.

"Okay, so Violet attacks her, you're the fake getaway car, but what am I meant to be doing? Where am I in all this?"

Garrett inhaled deeply before speaking. "Look, I think maybe you can have a night off. I mean, make the poison obviously because I have no clue how that all works, but then you can stay here and-"

"And stay out of the way? I don't even get to be in the car? Great, fun." Ariana huffed as she slumped back in her seat. "First Liam rejects me, then I'm bumped out of the job."

"No, you're not out of the job! You make the deadly poison! Very important." Violet interjected, leaning over to grab Ariana's hand. "You're crucial to this, but you're like the secret weapon, you know?"

Ariana sighed, closing her eyes as she accepted defeat. "Fine, whatever. I'll go get the wolfsbane ready. Garrett, dagger please?" She stood up, holding a hand out to Garrett who carefully pulled his dagger out of his pocket and handed it over to her.

"Careful with it," he warned, earning an eye-roll from Ariana.

"Don't worry, I'm just going to coat it with a deadly poison. Very safe," She shot back. As much as she wanted to be part of the action tonight, she knew Garrett had a point. They all had a role to play and sometimes it was better if all three of them weren't in the same place. Ariana's main role was making the poison that ensured a fast kill and that was exactly what she was going to do. Ariana pulled out a jar of powdered wolfsbane, along with a few other utensils and felt a familiar sense of calm wash over her as she got to work.

 

As soon as Garrett and Violet left the house, Ariana immediately noticed how quiet it was in their absence. It was rare for any of them to be home alone, unless Garrett and Violet were out on a date but even then they tended to go out when Ariana was studying or already had plans, so no one had to face the empty house for too long. It felt weird and Ariana bit her lip as she stared around their little house, taking in the cracks in the walls and the shabby furniture. They could probably afford to start getting the place fixed up now, or at least she could reach out to Lucas and ask him to speak to the landlord. They were lucky that they never really interacted with the landlord since Lucas was kind enough to deal with everything so Ariana could live comfortably, out of a foster home.

Having a foster brother like Lucas really had saved Ariana's life, in a way. She'd known him for as long as she could remember, since he'd been a part of her very first foster home. They both moved around a lot, as most foster kids did, but they hadn't lost touch. Although now she barely saw him, only really getting in touch to give him the rent money. When Ariana had gone to him after being kicked out of her fourth foster home, Violet and Garrett standing behind her with wide eyes, Lucas had willingly organised this house for the three orphans. But maybe now they could afford to move out, or at least fix the house up and make it a proper home for the three of them.

Slumping onto the couch, Ariana pulled Garrett's laptop off the coffee table and opened it up to read through the Carrie Hudson file again. Garrett had definitely done his research well over the last few days, managing to track down her usual night routine and a fairly in depth analysis of her personality and behaviour. It was almost freaky, seeing how much detail he'd put into the document, but she knew it was all crucial. Garrett took the assassin business seriously and he wanted to make sure the three of them got the job done quickly and efficiently without any mistakes.

A loud buzz interrupted Ariana's reading and she snatched her phone up to find a text from Garrett, most likely an update on the mission so far. He knew she hated staying at home alone.

**FROM: GARRETT**

_target is on the move! violet just got out of the car to follow her._

_also no good music on radio :( why don't we have an assassin playlist?_

Ariana rolled her eyes at the message before she quickly typed up a response.

**TO: GARRETT**

_focus on the job dork._

_also don't forget to ask about my parents!_

She hit send and immediately turned her focus back to the laptop, searching Garrett's notes on Carrie Hudson for anything that could connect her to other werewolves. Surely one of them had to know something about her parents' death. It had to be tied to something supernatural and Ariana had a feeling she was on the verge of getting answers soon.

A small ping interrupted Ariana's reading, alerting her to a new email. She pulled up Garrett's account from the minimised window he had left it in, figuring it was worth checking in case the Benefactor was sending another update. The new email was just from Mason though, apparently about some math homework he was stumped on judging by the title 'MATH?'. She didn't bother opening it. Garrett could deal with his homework problems once he'd got the job done.

Ariana was about to close the email window down when another email from last night caught her eye. It was from the Benefactor, but there was no subject line. The email had been opened, which was odd because Garrett hadn't mentioned receiving anything from the Benefactor. Ariana stared at the email for a moment, curser covering over it. Finally her curiosity got the better of her and she clicked it, pulling it up onto the screen.

All she could see on the email was a link and a code, which looked eerily similar to the first email they'd received, only a week ago. Ariana quickly clicked the link and typed the code into the text box provided.

AIDEN.

Within seconds several names began to appear on the screen. It was the second part of the hit list.

_Kate Argent - 12m_

_Noshiko Yukimura - 5m_

_Joanne McLaughlin - 1m_

_Steve Grace - 1m_

_Tom Hill - 1m_

_Brett Talbot - 1m_

_Liam Dunbar - 3m_

_Reed Schall - 250k_

_Richard Benefield - 250k_

_Jack Marsland - 250k_

_Joy Waldrop - 250k_

_Cheryl Calix - 250k_

_Jordan Parrish - 5m_

Ariana scanned the names, her brain whirling with a sense of excitement as she took in the amount of money next to each target. So there were more supernatural creatures, more targets to be taken down. More money to earn. But it was odd that Garrett had failed to mention it. He'd clearly read the email already so he must have seen the list, and for some reason he had chosen to keep it to himself. It wasn't like he'd had the chance. He'd had all day to bring it up. Ariana had a vaguely suspicious feeling in her bones, like something wasn't right.

Her eyes scanned through the names again, brows furrowing as she tried to work out why Garrett hadn't mentioned anything, trying to understand the point of his secrecy. Then she saw it.

_Liam Dunbar - 3m_

Ariana pushed herself backwards against the couch, almost dropping the laptop in shock. Liam. Her Liam. On the supernatural hit list. Worth three million dollars.

"Oh my god," Ariana breathed, her eyes widening with horror.

Liam was supernatural. He wasn't human. He was… _something else_.

Every interaction she'd had with him so far suddenly seemed straight out of a horror movie. Had he been stringing her along, flirting with her just to lure her in before killing her? What kind of sick game was he playing? Ariana shuddered, suddenly feeling cold and queasy.

Suddenly all of Violet and Garrett's odd glances made sense. This was what Garrett and Violet had been hiding. They must have seen the list the other night at the party and been trying to work out how to tell her. If they were even planning to tell her at all. This was major. This was too big a secret to keep from her, but that's exactly what they had done. Honestly Ariana wasn't sure what she was more upset about - Liam's name on the list or the betrayal from her two closest friends.

Ariana took a deep breath in attempt to calm herself, but she could already feel the fury boiling inside her. A loud buzzing interrupted her thoughts, and she whipped her head down to see her phone vibrating with an incoming phone call. It was Violet, probably ringing to give an update on the job. Ariana steeled herself, closing her eyes as she answered.

"Hi," she said curtly, wondering if Violet could hear the tension in her voice. There was a pause on the other end, and she held her breath, waiting.

"Uh, hey. You good? Just letting you know I chased Carrie to the school and she just got in Garrett's car. She put up a bit of a fight but we should be done soon!" Violet tended to ramble when she was uneasy, so this confirmed that she definitely knew something was up.

"Great," Ariana replied breezily, forcing herself to withhold any questions. Violet was probably dying to give a play-by-play but Ariana was too angry, too in shock from what she had just seen.

"Ari? Hey is everything okay?"

Ariana took a breath, steading herself before she spoke. "I know. About Liam. I saw the list." Without waiting for a reaction, Ariana ended the call, sitting back to stare at the screen, her mind whirling.

So Liam wasn't human. But what exactly was he?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey thanks again for reading! I really wanted to give Ariana a bit of time to process being stood up for the second time in a row so there wasn't a lot of action but trust me, it's coming! Also I know Liam's name wasn't on the second deadpool list in the show but I've had to make a few changes to fit in with my plot :)
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review if you have time because it really does mean the world to me. Let me know what you liked, any thoughts you had while reading, or even some speculations for what you think is coming! Again, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter where Liam has some grovelling to do :)


	6. Balance

**** Violet and Garrett flew in the front door about half an hour after Ariana had hung up the phone, both sprouting off a hundred excuses as they rushed inside. Ariana had pointedly ignored Violet's seven attempted calls and by the time they walked inside she had allowed her rage to increase until she was fuming. Sitting on the couch, legs crossed tightly, and the Benefactor's list open on the laptop, she was a vision of fury, small but deadly.

"-I know it looks bad but obviously we were going to tell yo-"

"No." Ariana said shortly, swiftly cutting off Violet's apology with a cold stare. Violet stopped half way on her dash to the couch, wringing her hands together anxiously. Garrett stopped too, a few steps behind Violet, one hand running through his hair as he took in Ariana's raged presence.

"Okay, just hear us out," Garrett said, softening his voice as if that would somehow calm Ariana down. It didn't, and she threw him a withering glare to prove it. "Of course we were going to tell you. I got the update at the party and you were already upset at Liam. We didn't want to make your night worse."

Ariana raised one eyebrow, pursing her lips before she spoke. "So why didn't you tell me today? You had all day to bring it up, but you didn't even try. You hid it from me. You lied to me. You both lied." Ariana's rage was bubbling up, already close to reaching its boiling point and she could feel her voice rising into borderline hysteria.

"We didn't lie! We just didn't tell you right away. We didn't want you to be hurt any more than you were," Violet pleaded, moving closer and reaching out a hand to comfort Ariana.

Ariana shrugged her off, shifting to stand up. Her eyes shone with tears of anger as she finally felt herself about to break, the tension she'd been carrying in her body for the last few days pushing her emotions over the edge. The anger of being stood up, of being betrayed by her two best friends, the horror of seeing Liam's name on the list, the knowledge that she was still no closer to solving the mystery of her parents' death, it all bubbled up, spilling out of her mouth in a jumbled mess. "No. You deliberately hid something massive from me. You lied to me. Everyone keeps lying to me. You lied, Liam lied, my foster parents keep lying, you're all just LIARS!"

Unable to take the pitying looks she was getting from Garrett and Violet, Ariana turned on her heels and marched towards her bedroom, swinging the door shut with a vicious bang. The apartment shuddered for a brief moment in response to her violence, and then there was silence.

 

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Ariana was still seething and refusing to speak to either of the other orphans. Violet had tried pleading with her several times over the rest of the weekend, but Ariana was determined to keep up her deadly silent treatment for as long as possible. Garrett had understood, quietly giving her the space she needed, and she appreciated it but any chance of forgiveness was barred by the cold reminder that she had been kept in the dark from the two people she trusted the most.

Shuffling around the kitchen as she organised her cereal, Ariana was aware of Garrett watching her from the table, and he didn't look away as she glared back at him.

"Ari-"

"I don't want to hear it, Garrett." Ariana sighed, sliding into the seat opposite him.

Garrett ducked his head down, staring at his own bowl of cereal for a moment. "I know, I'm sorry. I know you're angry - and you have every right to be. But we need to talk…about Liam." He glanced back up at her, hesitant.

Ariana stirred her Cheerios around the bowl silently, pursing her lips at the mention of Liam. She had managed to successfully ignore his texts for the entire weekend, her silent treatment apparently extending to everyone she knew. Liam was certainly persistent despite her lack of response but it wasn't enough to ease her anger. Not once had he actually explained why he had blown her off other than blaming the mysterious 'thing' that had come up. Looking at it now, Ariana realised his real reasons were probably supernatural related.

"I know," she said finally, looking up at Garrett. She allowed the tension to ease from her shoulders, suddenly exhausted by the prospect of containing her silence against him and Violet. She hated being mad at her two favourite people in the world, especially when it wasn't even them she was really angry at. They weren't the ones who were secretly supernatural creatures. "I'm still mad, but I understand why you kept it from me. I just wish you had told me sooner. I wish I hadn't found out by stumbling across that email myself."

Garrett nodded gravely, his blue eyes piercing into hers. "I completely agreed. We screwed up. It was uncharted territory for us. We didn't think about it properly. But we do need to talk about what you want to do about him."

"What do you mean?" Ariana asked, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"Well, he's on the list. But we don't know what he is. Or if he's even dangerous. I talked to Violet but we wanted to check with you first before we do anything. I mean he'll probably try and talk to you today about the party. I just want to know what you want to do. What's your plan?"

"You mean are we going to kill him and take the three million dollars?" Ariana asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow.

Garrett jerked his head back, stunned at her choice of words. He hesitated for a moment, obviously choosing his words very carefully. "Look, this is the first time we've actually known someone on the list. If you want, we can look into him. Find out what he is. But if you don't want to, I'm happy to leave him for someone else. There's plenty of other names for us to take down anyway," he said with a shrug, as he watched her closely.

Ariana bit her lip as she took in Garrett's words. She opened her mouth twice, suddenly unable to find a way to put her thoughts into words. She was furious at Liam, of course, but a part of her still wanted to believe he was something good. Something she could protect instead of taking him down. Usually when they had a job she didn't know the people personally. They were just targets. It made it easy. Impersonal. Like her targets weren't real people. But this was different. This was a boy who had bumped into her on the first day back and made her heart skip a beat. This was a boy who had stood her up twice but still made her want to smile with his abuse of exclamation points as he texted her, frantically trying to win her forgiveness. He couldn't be some evil creature.

"Okay, I say we leave him. For now at least," Ariana decided aloud, nodding her head firmly. Garrett raised an eyebrow but nodded back at her. "I don't know. It's too weird knowing him already. And like you said, we have other names we can focus on. We can keep an eye on him at least but…I don't know. It's too weird," she said, throwing her hands over her face in irritation.

"Hey, it's fine. We won't worry about him for now. Done," Garrett said calmly, reaching across the table to pat Ariana's arm. "No stress. I'll keep an eye on him at lacrosse but I promise I won't do any digging. Not until you're comfortable."

Ariana nodded silently, choosing to scoop another spoonful of Cheerios into her mouth before she could change her mind.

 

Ariana had barely sunk into her usual seat on the bus next to Mason when he immediately launched into interrogation mode.

"So did you text Liam back yet? Have you talked to him?" he asked, eyes wide and curious as he shifted to give her a little more seating room, and also so he could look at her properly while he fired his questions her way.

Ariana frowned at him. "What? How do you know he's been texting me?"

"Because he has been texting _me_ all weekend telling me how bad he feels and trying to get advice on how to fix this." Mason shrugged, offering a smile that Ariana refused to return.

"Well no. I have not replied and I don't plan on replying any time soon. He had his chance. Twice. And he screwed up so I'm done. I'm out," Ariana said as she held up her hands and mimed dusting them off to further push her point.

"Aw, come on. Just talk to him? Please? He's really sorry," Mason pleaded, looking at her imploringly.

Ariana narrowed her eyes at Mason, suddenly suspicious. "You're on his side aren't you?"

Mason widened his eyes in surprise, or perhaps guilt. "What? No. No sides. I'm Switzerland." He nodded firmly, supposedly proud of his choice.

"No, that's not good enough. You're not meant to be Switzerland. You're meant to be Team Ariana! He stood me up. Twice!" Ariana didn't mention the fact that Liam was also hiding a supernatural secret, deciding that his attitude regarding their dates should be outrageous enough for Mason.

Mason seemed torn though, shrugging his shoulders in a half hearted apology. "I'm sorry! You're both my friends and I want you to work this out. I'm Switzerland."

Ariana glared at him as she let out an huff of exasperation. "Fine. Enjoy flunking Chemistry without my notes then," she shot at him, turning to face the front of the bus as she folded her arms in annoyance as Mason protested next to her.

"Come on, Ari. At least give him a chance to explain himself," Mason offered. "Trust me, he feels really bad. I know he messed up and he's an idiot, but just talk to him."

Ariana kept her gaze locked on the seat in front of her. "No," was all she offered.

"Hey, okay look. I get it. He let you down twice and that's really bad. But just at least talk to him. See what he has to say in person. Do it for your awesome buddy Mason who wants his friends to be happy."

"You're not going to let this go until I talk to him, are you?" Ariana asked, turning back to face Mason reluctantly. He gave her his usual winning smile, tilting his head to one side.

"Nope," Mason said back, his eyes twinkling slightly. He really was insufferable sometimes, relentless in his determination to make sure the people around him were as happy as he was.

Ariana rolled her eyes, shaking her head at him. "You're the worst friend ever."

Mason opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the jerk of the school bus coming to a halt in front of the school. He let out a long suffering sigh as Ariana pulled her backpack over her shoulder, shifting slightly as they got ready to climb off. "Lies. And don't think you're getting out of this conversation!"

Ariana waved a hand behind her as she stepped off the bus in front of him, her eyes already scanning for a sign of Liam. She wasn't looking for him so they could talk obviously, she just needed to know which direction to avoid. But thankfully there was no sign of him and Ariana allowed Mason to link their arms together as they made their way into the school corridor, no lying supernatural jerk in sight.

Ariana was only a few steps away from her locker, having successfully avoided Liam so far, when he suddenly stepped in front of her, practically appearing out of the blue. Suddenly Ariana was strongly wishing her locker was closer to Mason's so she could use him as a distraction but alas she was stuck on her own.

"Hi," he said, a forlorn expression on his face as if he was the one who had been wronged in this situation. He had his arms folded sheepishly across his chest, his grey hooded jacket wrapped around his body as if he was deliberately trying to look more pitiful. His hair was wilting slightly, hanging down over his left eye instead of in its usual adorable golden coif, forcing him to brush it off his face so he could look at Ariana properly.

She almost felt sorry for him, given he currently resembled a sad puppy, but her bitterness overrode any hint of empathy. Instead, Ariana pursed her lips as she neatly stepped around him and marched over to her locker, leaving him to chase after her.

Unsurprisingly he did precisely that. "Hey, okay I deserve that. I know I messed up. I did. Big time. But I promise I can make it up to you," he said, leaning against the locker next to Ariana as he stared at her with his big dumb blue eyes.

"Not interested," Ariana said coldly, glancing at him briefly to let him see the ice in her own eyes. "I'd rather not be stood up a third time in a row. I'm not that desperate." She set her jaw firmly, snapping her locker shut with a bang that was loud enough to make Liam jump slightly.

He dropped his head down in defeat, letting out a heavy sigh. "I really am sorry Ari, if that makes any difference."

"It doesn't," Ariana shot back, hugging her Chemistry books to her chest tightly. She watched as his eyes flashed with something - Anger? Regret? Before settling back into a look of sorrow.

They locked eyes for a moment, their gazes lingering silently. Part of Ariana wanted to march off, leaving him behind again, but something was keeping her body still, heart skipping half a beat. Finally the sound of the warning bell jolted Ariana into reality. Shaking her head slightly, Ariana frowned and spun on her heels, marching away from Liam before he could say another word.

 

The rest of the morning flew by relatively uneventfully thanks to Violet's skills in detouring. She had a knack for weaving in and out of crowds and helpfully kept Ariana out of Liam's way, making sure he didn't have a chance to flash his sad eyes at her again. By the time it came to lunch time Ariana felt like she was able to let down her guard a little and relax, instead of running on the high level of alert she was currently sitting on.

"Hi!"

Or not. Ariana halted in her tracks at the sudden appearance of a girl who looked slightly older than her, suddenly standing in Ariana's path. Why was everyone jumping in front of her today? All Ariana wanted to do was get to the cafeteria without any more interruptions. Ariana frowned at the Asian girl, taking in her wide eyes and sweeping dark hair. She was definitely a few years older than Ariana, and something about her seemed familiar although Ariana couldn't place it.

"Oh. Right, um so you don't know me. But I'm Kira! Which probably doesn't mean anything to you-"

Ariana narrowed her eyes at the girl, the name suddenly ringing a bell. "Kira," she repeated, her tone flat.

Kira gave an unsteady smile, nodding slowly. "Yeah, that's my name…That's me. Kira," she said again, a little more hesitantly this time.

"Right. Kira, the one who invited Liam to the party that neither of you showed up to," Ariana said cooly. She glanced up and down at Kira, taking a bit of pride in the way the girl seemed to squirm under her gaze. It was satisfying to know that she could have this kind of effect on a girl several years older than her.

Kira stammered for a moment, clearly scrambling for a good excuse. "What? Oh, Lydia's party- oh!" Her eyes got even wider, if that was even possible. "No! Nothing like that! I just asked him because the other lacrosse guys wanted him to come, so I asked him when I ran into him. That's it!"

"And then you both conveniently didn't show up," Ariana shot back, folding her arms.

"Yes! I mean, I wasn't there but I wasn't with Liam. We were both away, but separately away. I - uh - I had a date! With my boyfriend! Who is not Liam. Very much not Liam."

"Right." Ariana raised a disbelieving eyebrow at Kira.

"Anyway, I ran into Liam and he mentioned that he kind of stood you up at the party, which was very rude, and I know he feels really bad about it and he wants to make it up to you."

"And let me guess, you're here to convince me to let him?" Ariana asked, her voice flat. How desperate did this Kira girl think Ariana was? Sure she was a freshman with little dating experience but she wasn't sitting around waiting for guys to ask her out, especially guys who had already stood her up twice in the last week.

Kira paused for a moment, clasping her hands in front her body and wringing them slightly. "Look," she said, her voice softening slightly as she pulled her face into a pleading expression, "Liam really likes you. I know he does. He's been bugging the other guys about how to fix this so maybe give him one last chance? At least hear him out?"

Ariana sighed, tipping her head back in frustration. She was sick of being told to forgive him, sick of being told to forget the sting of rejection he'd put her through twice. "I don't want to give him another chance. He stood me up twice. I can take a hint."

"No, trust me. He didn't meant to stand you up either time. And I know that if you hear him out he's got a pretty cool plan to make it up to you," Kira said, eyes widening slightly. It was almost as if she hadn't meant to reveal that last bit of information but it was intriguing enough to spark Ariana's interest again.

"What do you mean?"

"I just know he has something planned if you decide to give him a second chance." Kira gave her a soft smile.

Ariana pursed her lips, folding her arms as she silently mulled it over, her curiosity already beginning to take over her irritation.

Kira bit her lip, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at Ariana. "If give him another shot you'll see. Liam's a good guy. And he really likes you. Just think about it at least." With that, she smiled slightly before brushing past Ariana and hurrying off around the corner.

Ariana was beginning to feel like the entire universe was pushing her towards Liam at this point. Violet and Garrett had promised to keep an eye out for him when they found her in the cafeteria, both highly aware of Ariana's numerous reasons for avoiding him. Unfortunately they both abandoned her for a few minutes as they went to grab a table and a few minutes was all it took for Ariana to bump shoulders with Liam.

"Oh, come on." Ariana let out an exasperated groan, stepping back and steadying herself on the counter beside her, one hand gripping her tray that was thankfully still empty. Sure she had been thinking about Kira's words the entire walk into the cafeteria but she hadn't expected to be confronted with Liam so quickly.

"I swear that was an accident," Liam said immediately, steadying himself as he clutched his own lunch tray.

"No, it's fine," Ariana sighed as she brushed past him to pile some salad onto her tray, smiling slightly as he shifted to let her pass. They moved down the lunch line in silence but both heavily aware of the close proximity, their shoulders brushing one two many times to be accidental.

She didn't like to believe in fate or destiny, or higher powers of any kind, mostly because she failed to see how the higher powers thought taking both of her parents away was a good idea. But at the same time today it felt like everyone was trying to give her as sign that pointed straight towards Liam. She knew it was a risk, she knew he had lied and that he was still hiding whatever creature he was. But none of that seemed very important when he brushed his shoulder against hers.

"Look-"

"Okay so-"

Ariana and Liam both spoke over each other, stopping abruptly as they stared at each other. Ariana moved out of the line, her tray now fairly full and she watched as Liam followed her, his face preparing itself into an apologetic look again. He set his jaw, nodding at her to speak first. She hadn't exactly been planning what to say but she started speaking anyway.

"Okay, so I'm still mad at you. But…hypothetically speaking…" Here we go, all she needed to do was imagine this as a scientific situation. She was just setting up a hypothesis to him. "Just say I was to give you a third chance - which is pushing it by the way - how do I know you're not just setting me up to let me down again?"

Liam hesitated before speaking, taking a deep breath. "I swear if you did give me another shot I won't stand you up again. And if something comes up again you would have every right to hate me. And never talk to me again. All I'm asking for is one last chance. One more."

Ariana narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing him up. "Fine," she said suddenly, even surprising herself. It was almost like her mouth spoke before her brain had time to decide, but it was out there now.

"Really?" Liam seemed equally surprised at her sudden change of mind but he also seemed smart enough to accept it before she could change her mind. "Okay, great. Well I have something in mind for tonight, if that's okay. The school bus drives past it so we can catch that after school."

"Okay." Ariana was a bit dazed now, her mind trying to process the fact that she had said yes so quickly. What was she thinking? Why had she done that? And why didn't she regret it in the slightest?

"Cool." Liam bobbed his head, fighting back a grin. "I'll meet you after school then." And with that he hurried off, leaving Ariana in a vague state of shock.

She finally headed over to Violet and Garett, her wide eyes catching their attention. "Okay, I may have just done something stupid. Potentially. Well no…actually definitely."

Violet and Garrett raised their eyes in sync, glancing at each other before turning back to Ariana as she sunk into the spare seat opposite them.

"Okay…what did you do?" Violet furrowed her brows suspiciously.

"I just agreed to go on a date with Liam tonight." Ariana winced as Garrett promptly choked on his food, coughing violently as Violet stared at Ariana with wide eyes. It was essentially the reaction Ariana had been expecting, to be honest, but she had been hoping for something a little more reassuring.

"Why? Why would you do that? What changed your mind?" Violet finally asked, ignoring Garrett's spluttering beside her.

Ariana shrugged helplessly, throwing her hands over her eyes. "I don't know! I bumped into him and we were talking and now we have a date. What did I do? Why did I do that?"

"Hormones," Garrett managed to choke out, somehow managing to pull his face into a sly grin as he recovered from his choking fit.

Ariana threw him a withering glare. He was not helping in the slightest. "Excuse you, I am not driven by hormones. I am in full control of my-"

"Ari come on, you're a science nerd. You know even you you can't always control your hormones. They affect you before you even realise it," Violet said with a smirk.

Ariana rolled her eyes, sulking back into her chair a little as she shoved some salad into her mouth, shaking her head in irritation as the two other orphans smirked at her. They really were perfect for each other, both incredibly annoying.

Garrett finally composed himself, his expression turning a little more serious. "Okay, but seriously Ari, just be careful. Don't let your guard down too much. And text us if you need help."

Ariana nodded, letting out a sigh. "I'm not an idiot, Garrett. I'll be careful." She didn't mention the butterflies currently growing in her stomach as she thought about her looming date with Liam.

 

Ariana furrowed her brows slightly as she walked into the building half a step behind Liam. He'd been a little vague on the bus ride, refusing to say exactly where they were going but as soon as the bus had come to a stop Ariana had caught on fairly quickly.

Liam pushed the heavy door open revealing the old ice skating rink in all its cold glory. The lights were all dimmed and the building was deserted, which was a little unusual. Ariana knew ice skating wasn't incredibly popular amongst the people of Beacon Hills but it was never this empty. It was so empty that she couldn't even see any staff lingering around.

"Where is everyone?" she asked suspiciously, clutching her phone tightly in her hand in case she needed to make an emergency call to Garrett or Violet. The fact that Liam was supposedly a supernatural creature hadn't left her mind as much as she tried to temporarily push it back, and the possibility that he had lured her out to a deserted building was definitely a little worrying.

Liam turned around to face her, a hopeful smile on his face as he gestured around him. "I booked out the rink for tonight. Just us. No one else. I wanted to make up the last two dates to you so I figured I owed you something big and grand." He dropped his hands to his sides, shrugging.

"Oh." Ariana was momentarily stunned into silence as she gazed around the rink, taking in the gesture. No one had ever done anything very romantic for her before, mostly because there had never been anyone to try. It felt…nice. She felt a little warm inside and she could sense that feeling revealing itself on her reddening cheeks as she ducked her eyes back down to the ground. "That's…actually really cool," she admitted softly.

Liam smiled warmly, his eyes shining as he watched her reaction.

"How did you manage this?" Ariana lifted her eyes back up to sweep around the empty rink, her mind still processing what he had done.

Liam shrugged again, half trying to brush off the extent of his grand gesture but also obviously hoping she was impressed. "Oh, some of the guys on the lacrosse team helped me, actually."

Ariana made a mental note to interrogate Garrett later on to see if he knew anything about this and had just been messing with her earlier. But that was something to worry about later. Right now she needed to find the right size skates, leading the way to the counter with Liam following behind her, a pleased smile on his face. She quickly hoisted herself over the counter and snuck around, grabbing two pairs of skates.

"So why ice skating?" She asked as they sat down on one of the benches, tugging their shoes off and replacing them with the old worn skates.

"Well Mason mentioned that you like ice skating so I figured it would be a safe idea. I haven't done much skating before but it looks pretty fun. So do you skate much?" Liam tilted his head up to look at Ariana as he tightened the laces on his left skate.

Ariana smirked as she finished tying her skates in two neat bows and pushed herself off the chair, gliding onto the rink with ease. "Yeah a bit," she answered coyly. "Not so much lately but I used to come all the time when I was younger." She shrugged as she moved her feet slowly, absent-mindedly shaping a figure-8 with her skates as she spoke.

"Ah, so you're an expert. Awesome." Liam let out a fake groan as he hastily finished tying his laces and awkwardly fumbled his way onto the rink, one hand clutching the rail tightly. "Did your parents take you here a lot then?"

Ariana slowed down at the mention of her parents, twisting to skate with her back to Liam for a brief moment as she racked her brains on how much to give away. But there was no reason to fully lie to him about this. She'd never been ashamed of the fact that she grew up in the foster care system and he was bound to find out from someone soon enough anyway. She was surprised Mason hadn't let it slip already. "Um no, one of my foster mothers used to take me and a bunch of kids skating on weekends when I was little," she said, trying to keep her voice casual.

Liam had halted in his attempt to abandon the railing though, flailing for a second before steadying himself again. "Wait - foster mother?" he repeated, frowning.

"Yep." Ariana slowly skated closer to Liam, keeping her expression neutral as she watched him. He nodded slowly, seeming a little uncertain as he took in that surprising information. Ariana watched him for another moment, waiting for the inevitable questions about her real parents. He seemed unwilling to pose a risky and potentially upsetting question but unable to think of anything else to say. Deciding that he was struggling enough, Ariana skated a little closer again, catching his eye. "It's alright. You can ask."

Liam smiled, the corners of his lips tilting up slightly as he began to skate slowly beside her, arms held out to keep himself balanced. "Sorry, I just don't want you to be upset. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. I've been in foster care for as long as I can remember. My whole life, basically. My parents both died when I was a baby so I was put straight into the foster system." Ariana shrugged, turning gently and skating backwards as she talked, keeping her gaze steady on Liam.

"I'm sorry," Liam said after a moment. "That doesn't really help, I know, but that must suck losing both your parents. My dad walked out a few years ago but I can't imagine losing my mum as well."

"Yeah, I mean it sucks but I never knew them. All I know is the foster care system. Anyway, this is a potentially depressing conversation for a belated first date," she said with an awkward laugh, shaking her head and letting her curls bounce gently across her face.

Liam threw her a grin, bobbing his head in agreement. "Right, definitely. Sorry."

"All good. So how about you tell me more about you? What was Devonport like?"

Liam carefully skated alongside her, hands still held out to keep himself balanced and it was a moment before he was coordinated enough to talk at the same time. "Uh… possibly another touchy subject. I mean I was only there for one semester and it wasn't really a good fit. But it was okay overall. Just not the right school for me."

Ariana nodded, fully understanding the feeling of not fitting in properly. After all that was why she'd been passed off between foster homes for most of her life. She'd never really fit in with any of the foster families, mostly because she'd been what most foster parents labelled a 'difficult child'. As if she was meant to be well adjusted despite having two dead parents, the feeling that she was missing something in her life never quite fading.

"You know, I didn't realise how quiet it would be without anyone else here," Liam commented after a few quiet moments, glancing around the empty rink as they skated side by side, Liam's hand clutching the rail like a lifeline while Ariana glided beside him.

Ariana hummed in agreement. It was an odd mix of eerie and intimate, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "Well maybe we could use the sound system? Put some music on?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea! I've got my iPod. I'll chuck it on. Or maybe you can. You probably know the rink better than me." Liam chuckled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPod, offering it to her. Ariana flashed him a smile as she took it and glided to the edge of the rink where the sound system sat.

"Any preference?" she called out, biting back a laugh as Liam flailed slightly in an attempt to spin his skates to face her. He shook his head, apparently unwilling to try speaking and balancing himself at the same time.

She didn't recognise most of the bands on his iPod, mostly because she didn't have a lot of time to play music and she only really listened to whatever Garrett played in the car. Finally she picked a band that looked vaguely familiar, Death Cab for Cutie, and hit shuffle. The warm tones began to ring throughout the building and Ariana smiled in appreciation. She had a feeling this was one of the bands Garrett liked to play in the car after a long night of assassin work and it immediately gave her a sense of comfort. Keeping the smile on her face, she glided back to where Liam was skating on the edge of the rink, a hand clutching the rail tightly.

"You know you'll have to let go of the rail if you want to skate properly!" She exclaimed, wrinkling her nose as she watched him struggling.

Liam let out a huffed laugh, shaking his head. "Nope."

Ariana glided back and forth past him easily, biting her lip as she watched him. "Okay, come on. Take my hand." She reached out a hand as she got a bit closer to him. Liam looked down at her hand for a brief moment before putting his own hand in hers. His hand was warm despite the cold air around them, and he squeezed her hand a little as they slowly moved towards the middle of the rink.

They picked up an easy rhythm soon enough, skating around the rink hand in hand, with Ariana occasionally letting go to speed past him, unable to help herself from throwing in a few twirls, but she always skated back to him, his warm hand automatically taking hers back each time.

Finally Liam's phone buzzed, interrupting the comfortable conversation they'd slipped into. "Oh crap. Sorry, my mom is outside waiting already." He looked up at Ariana with apologetic eyes.

"Oh, that's okay! My foster brother is probably on his way to get me anyway," Ariana shrugged, inwardly praying that Garrett was already on his way, parking around the corner like she'd told him to. She was vaguely aware that she hadn't told Liam about her false living situation with Lucas but luckily Liam seemed to assume that she had a foster brother to take her back to a foster home.

"So how was that?" Liam asked as they made their way outside the building, the cool air almost matching the icy vibes of the rink.

Ariana frowned, cocking her head to one side as they halted at the door. "How was what?"

"Our date? How did I go making up for the last two?"

Ariana pursed her lips, tilting her head in mock thought. He seemed genuinely concerned, his eyebrows raised hopefully as he watched her.

"It was a good start," she offered finally, giving him a coy smile. Liam immediately beamed back, pleased with her answer. He had definitely tried harder than she had anticipated and it was impossible to ignore the storm of butterflies currently fluttering in her stomach.

Aware of his mother's car stalling a few metres away, Liam bobbed his head awkwardly, preparing to leave. "Alright, well I'll see you at school tomorrow then."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Ariana smiled back. Then impulsively, she found herself leaning forward to press a kiss to his warm cheek. He ducked his head down in response as she stepped back. "Bye Liam," she said quietly, smiling as she looked at him through her eyelashes. He seemed a little stunned, his cheeks reddening slightly as he smiled back before hurrying off to his mother's car, turning back to give her a small wave as he swung the passenger door open.

A small pleased smile stayed on Ariana's face remained even as she climbed into Garrett's car around the corner, sinking into the passenger seat. She pointedly ignored Garrett's smirk, instead keeping her gaze on the houses passing by, relishing in the one small normal night she'd been given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! Hopefully you enjoyed this relatively light chapter! I figured I owed you all something a little light after the minor bombshell last chapter, but I promise there is plenty of angst up ahead :) Please leave a review if you have some time and let me know your thoughts so far as well! I always love talking about this fic to people so you are all welcome to come chat to me on my tumblr (fraysquake) where you'll also find plenty of edits under my Ariana Petrakis tag.


	7. Distracted

The rest of the week seemed to fly by, mostly because time seemed to zoom past Ariana whenever Liam was next to her. Which was most of the time now. Ever since their little date it felt like Liam had developed a sixth sense that told him whenever Ariana was near and automatically drew him to her. The moment she stepped off the school bus every day Liam was there ready to carry her books as they walked to her locker. It was incredibly cheesy and she was fairly sure she hadn't stopped smiling since Monday night's date but she didn't care one bit.

It did mean her time with Garrett and Violet planning their next job was suddenly limited, but she trusted Garrett's ability to do his own research and to fill her in when he needed her input, and Violet was too excited over Ariana having a love life to really care. Ariana was thrilled to see Liam getting along with Mason too, although over the last few days she had started to feel like Liam was actually dating Mason instead, but apparently video game marathons were extremely crucial to male bonding and not at all romantic. Plus, Liam had promised to make it up to her, along with the other dates he was making up for, and she was finally starting to trust him now that his days of standing her up seemed over.

By the time Friday rolled around, Liam had declared an absolutely crucial study session, which seemed reasonable especially given their upcoming Chemistry test, but honestly Ariana was just excited about the prospect of helping someone understand chemical bonds. She'd spent the last night tidying up her study notes in between topping up her wolfsbane poison supply, and it was nice to have the chance to show off her chemistry knowledge to someone new.

"Oh guys, I'm going to be home late tonight, just a heads up." Ariana hugged her History books to her chest as she walked down the corridor with Violet and Garrett on the way to class, suddenly realising she hadn't mentioned it yet, having been too busy talking to Liam all day. "Liam needs help studying for Chemistry so he asked me to come over for a bit."

"Oooooh studying. I get it. Nice. Please be safe." Violet winked at Ariana, letting out a loud cackle as Ariana responded by shoving her with more force than necessary. Unfortunately Violet was blessed with good balance and merely stumbled forward half a step before catching herself, a smirk still on her lips as she tightened her grip on her own books for her next class. Garrett seemed unfazed by the entire incident, merely giving Ariana a lazy smirk when she glared at him.

"Shut up both of you, it's just studying. I told you, he needs help with chemistry."

"I literally didn't say a word," Garrett retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Trust me, the two of you don't need any help with chemistry. You're both good." Violet was being utterly useless as always but she seemed extremely pleased with herself, smirking again as they came to a halt outside the History classroom.

Ariana let out a huff, turning away pointedly as Violet gave Garrett a long kiss goodbye. "Oh my god, stop being gross and get to your Math class," Ariana said finally, tipping her head back in annoyance. Violet complied reluctantly, squeezing Ariana's arm before flouncing off around the corner and leaving Garrett and Ariana to sit through another long period of Mr Yukimura's ramblings about historical events that no one cared about.

Neither of them had forgotten the appearance of the Yukimura surname on the Benefactor's hit list and Ariana spent most of the class alternating between frantically taking down notes and pondering what on earth Mr Yukimura's daughter really was and if he even knew. Garrett seemed equally curious, choosing to focus more on jotting down possible supernatural creatures and passing notes to Ariana with a raised eyebrow. She highly doubted Kira Yukimura was a mermaid no matter how nice Garrett thought her hair was, and she wasn't sure why nice hair was automatically equated with mermaids, but she appreciated Garrett's dedication to the Benefactor's cause.

The end of class arrived just as Garrett passed Ariana a note simply reading 'ALIEN?' which just highlighted his level of boredom, something Ariana definitely understood. She shook her head at him as she threw the piece of paper back at him. "Idiot. Go do your proper research tonight if you're so curious," she said in a low tone as they walked out of the classroom side by side.

"Willingly," Garrett responded with a determined look in his eyes as he steered Ariana through the crowded hallway towards her locker where Liam was already waiting for her. "I don't trust anyone related to someone who enjoys talking about History so much."

"Amen to that," Ariana agreed, flashing Garrett a grin as he veered off to go find Violet. Honestly Ariana was a little disappointed that she'd be missing a good research session tonight but she also had a vague sense of relief at getting another normal night with minimal talk of murder and assassin targets. It was nice to have a bit of a break every now and then.

 

Liam seemed slightly tense as they walked up the path to his front door after school. Ariana could practically feel him vibrating from next to her as he unlocked the door, swinging it open to let her in before him. She wasn't surprised though. He looked about as nervous as she felt right now. It felt a little ridiculous to be this nervous, after all it wasn't their first date. But it was her first time at his house and although they had both been adamant about referring to this as a study date, Ariana wasn't naïve. Not to mention the amount of winks and nudges she'd been getting from Violet ever since she'd mentioned the date. The entire bus ride to Liam's house had been filled with a growing level of tension as they tried to ignore the looks they were getting from Mason and Violet, while Garrett sat back with his usual cocky smirk and refusal to intervene.

"Uh, so my step-dad is probably at the hospital since he usually does the late shift but I'm not sure where my mom is…" Liam trailed off, walking past Ariana and further into the house. Ariana followed him tentatively, carefully closing the door behind her. She managed to weave around the hallway and into the kitchen where Liam was hovering at the counter, reading a note presumably left by his mother.

Ariana waited patiently for Liam to finish reading, instead taking her time to look around the kitchen. The decor was clean and modern with a few touches to make it feel homely, nothing like any of the houses Ariana had ever lived in. The appliances all looked like stainless steel which tied into the sophisticated look of the room, all shiny and crisp. There were a few ornaments decorating the shelves and cabinets, mostly little porcelain ducks with matching blue ribbons around their necks and a rack of clean dishes stacked up next to the sink, all waiting to be put away. It all seemed like a very normal kitchen, the kind Ariana was instantly envious of.

Her foster homes had never been this nice, and the idea of having decorations in your kitchen simply because you could seemed almost frivolous. Her own kitchen with the other two orphans now was simple as you could get, apart from the clutter that occasionally built up from their dirty dishes and the mess she often created while she was making up her poisons. Liam's kitchen just seemed nice and normal, so normal that Ariana was almost able to forget that he was supposedly a supernatural creature.

"Ariana? You alright?" Liam broke Ariana out of her wandering gaze, raising an eyebrow in slight concern as he watched her, the note still in his hand.

Ariana pulled her face, which was probably in a vague state of wistfulness, into a bright smile as she nodded. "Yeah! You just have a really nice house," she shrugged, leaning against the doorframe gently. "I thought you only moved here recently though?"

Liam seemed to accept her answer easily, bobbing his head with a smile. "Aw thanks. Yeah we moved in the break so we've been here long enough for my mom to unpack most of our things. She hates having boxes lying around." He fiddled with the note as he spoke, glancing back down at it briefly. "Anyway apparently she's gone out for a bit but she left some food if you're hungry?"

Ariana shrugged, her stomach feeling a little too tightly wound to really think about food properly. "I don't mind," she said, which was probably the least helpful response.

Liam flailed vaguely for a moment before shrugging his shoulders as well. "Alright, well maybe we can go upstairs and start studying? And you can just let me know if you get hungry?"

It seemed like a good plan so Ariana nodded easily, tugging on the straps of her backpack as they headed upstairs towards Liam's bedroom. He gave her a vague tour, giving a few lines of commentary as they passed each room but like a typical boy he didn't give a lot of information. Instead Ariana was left to give each room a quick snoop as she walked past. There were a few boxes piled up in the corner of the lounge room but overall the house already looked fairly put together and lived in.

"And this is my room. Uh…sorry about the mess." Liam announced as he pushed his bedroom door open to reveal the most stereotypical teenage boy's bedroom possible. He had a bunch of random things littered around the room, mostly crumpled up clothes, but Ariana spotted a surfboard propped up next to the window, and the television at the foot of his bed had several game cases lying around it. Ariana had no idea how he'd managed to make such a mess in a short span of time, but it was definitely a cozy room, and she allowed herself a smile as she walked in a little further, shrugging her backpack off her shoulders and dropping it onto the floor near her feet.

It was odd how the moment she was suddenly actually inside Liam's bedroom, the energy between the two of them changed. It was subtle, but Ariana felt something shifting over her as she watched Liam shuffle around the room in search for his study materials. She was in a boy's bedroom, probably for the first time. At least the first time in this kind of situation. Garrett's room most definitely did not count and she didn't really count any of her foster brother's bedrooms either since she'd never had this feeling of warm anxiety until now.

Not knowing quite what to do with herself, she eased her body onto the edge of the bed as she fiddled with her bag. She tugged out her chemistry notes and her text book, as well as a couple of pens she found stuffed at the bottom of the bag. After a brief inner debate about whether to take her boots off or not, Ariana opted to leave them on and shifted on the bed until she was sitting comfortably with her ankles crossed. A moment later Liam finally straightened up from his crouched down position on the floor with a triumphant 'Yes!', waving his chemistry notebook in hand.

"Great! Now, let's get started with chemical bonds!" Ariana exclaimed, clapping her hands with excitement. The slight drop in Liam's expression wasn't unnoticed but she chose to ignore it, too excited to launch into her spiel.

 

Somehow during her attempts to explain the concept of covalent bonds Ariana had found herself closer to Liam that she'd initially planned, their knees unable to move without brushing against each other. Liam had his head down, brow slightly furrowed as he focused on his notes. His face as he tried to concentrate was almost too endearing and he was clearly doing his best to follow along with Ariana's explanation.

"How do you just get all of this so easily?" Liam asked after a pause as Ariana waited for him to copy down the next line of her notes. "I mean, you just seem to understand it without even thinking." His pen hovered over the page mid sentence as he glanced up at her. His face was a lot closer than she'd anticipated and she could make out his individual long eyelashes. It was almost too distracting, rendering her unable to focus on speaking and she quickly pulled her glance down to her notes, unconsciously licking her lips as she tried to put together a coherent answer.

"I don't know. I guess it just comes naturally to me. It always has. Chemistry is just different ways of nature reacting to itself. Like the covalent bonds. It's just different atoms being drawn to each other and that causes a certain reaction. Chemistry is just all about attraction…" Ariana trailed off momentarily as she noticed how close Liam's face had gotten in the last few minutes. "I mean, between the atoms. Like the attraction of atoms causing a type of chemical bond," she clarified quickly, nodding her head as if that would clear her mind. She was fairly sure that was the worst way to describe the chemical bonds but her brain was suddenly preoccupied.

They were both gravitating towards each other, inch by inch, and it took everything in Ariana not to gaze at his lips as she spoke, instead staring intently at the notebook sitting between them, her eyes focusing on the paper so hard that her own handwriting seemed to become blurred, not that she really noticed because her mind was too busy picking up on the way Liam's leg was brushing up against her own.

"I like that. It's kind of cool." Liam's voice was significantly more hushed than a few moments ago, and Ariana glanced back up to see his face had definitely shifted another inch closer. His eyes were trained on hers, an inscrutable look in them.

"Thanks," she replied, her own voice dropping to match his hushed tone.

"You're welcome."

Before Ariana could come up with anything else in response, Liam was inching even closer and then suddenly his lips were on hers.

Ariana froze momentarily as the realisation of what was happening kicked in. Liam was kissing her. She was being kissed. It definitely wasn't her first kiss, not that middle school boys really counted, but it was definitely new and the tugging in her stomach was also definitely new.

Before she could react properly, Liam was pulling back with a worried look. "Was that…okay?" He asked hesitantly, biting his lip nervously. Oh, right. She hadn't exactly kissed him back since she'd been too busy analysing everything in the moment.

Deciding that words weren't really necessary right now and well aware that she wasn't exactly capable of stringing together a proper sentence anyway, Ariana opted for a nod as she gave Liam a shy smile, leaning forward to capture his lips with her own this time. He responded eagerly, shifting to get a little closer as one hand raised up to brush against her cheek. It was almost too much, an overload of her senses as she took in the feel of his warm touch along with the taste of his lips.

It turned out that despite having very little experience with kissing, Ariana was a fast learner which was actually unsurprising given her history of learning and excitement over new things. Tilting her head slightly, she found herself presented with a much better angle, allowing Liam to lean in a little further, one hand drifting to her waist. She responded by allowing her hands to drift up to his hair, running her hands through it which he seemed to approve of, kissing her a little more enthusiastically.

Ariana found herself a little lost in the moment, quite happy to keep kissing him, all thoughts of chemicals and atoms abandoned as she focused on the feeling of his hands on her waist and the pressure of his lips on hers, and the sound of her heartbeat thudding loudly against her chest so loud that she was surprised it hadn't distracted Liam.

Speaking of distractions though, after what felt like only a few moments but was probably a little longer, the loud blasting of _'Pumped Up Kicks'_ created a rude interruption. Ariana reluctantly pulled away from Liam to reach for her phone, her mind vaguely wondering why she'd let Garrett pick his own ringtone on her phone. Liam let out a groan as he shifted away from her to give her some room to move and she let out an uncharacteristic giggle as she shuffled to get a hold of her phone, glancing at the screen to confirm that it was indeed Garrett. Great. She'd been very clear that he not interrupt this study session unless it was an emergency, which meant she was essentially obligated to answer it.

"Ugh! Sorry, it's just Lucas being over protective. I'll just duck out and take this. Let him know I'm alive and all that," Ariana lied smoothly, flashing Liam an apologetic smile. She was careful to keep her phone tilted towards herself so he wouldn't see Garrett's name flashing on the screen and luckily Liam seemed to take her for her word. He ducked his head down with a laugh, waving a hand towards the door.

A few seconds later Ariana was in the bathroom, shutting the door quietly as she swiped a finger across the screen to accept the call. "Garrett, this had better be importan-"

"Are you still at Liam's?" Garrett interrupted her, the urgency clear in his voice even through the phone. Ariana could hear the sound of his car engine running in the background, accompanied by a cough indicating that Violet was clearly sitting beside him.

Ariana frowned to herself as she leaned against the wall, running a hand through her long hair. "Yeah we're… um, studying," she replied slowly. He didn't need to know all the details. "Why? What's going on?"

"You need to get out of there. Now. We'll come get you now. Just get out of there."

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Ariana repeated, struggling to keep her voice quiet now as her suspicions began to rise. She could only hide in the bathroom for a bit longer before Liam would start to wonder what was keeping her away. This was meant to be a quick phone call but something about Garrett's tone had Ariana on edge, her insides twisting a little.

"It's about Liam. We'll explain later," Violet chipped in through the phone, her voice matching Garrett's urgency.

Ariana let out a frustrated huff. "No, you'll tell me now. No secrets, remember?"

There was a pause on the other line and Ariana glanced back at the bathroom door, biting her lip anxiously as she waited for someone to finally fill her in. She could practically see Violet and Garrett glaring at each other, neither wanting to be the one giving her whatever the bad news was, but Garrett seemed to lose out on the silent war and she heard him clearing his throat after a moment.

"Okay, don't get mad. So we were doing some research into some of the names on the list and we found some stuff on Scott McCall."

"…And?"

"He's a werewolf, but not just that. He's an alpha. A true alpha."

Ariana furrowed her brows again, trying to figure out the connection to Liam. It was a shock, of course, hearing that Garrett and Liam's lacrosse captain was an alpha werewolf. Scott was definitely dangerous even if Ariana didn't fully understand the true meaning of a true alpha. "Okay…Definitely bad. So he has a pack, then?"

It was Violet that spoke this time, her voice straining a little higher with nerves. "He does. He has a beta. Ariana…It's Liam."

Ariana froze as she felt the blood drain from her face, giving her a moment of brief dizziness. "No," she whispered, her brain struggling to process Violet's words as one hand hovered shakily over her mouth. "No, you're wrong. You have to be wrong. No!"

"Ari- I'm so sorry…" But Violet's words went unheard by Ariana as she slid down against the wall until she was sitting on the cold tiled floor, shock sweeping over her in giant tidal waves. Her entire body felt cold and numb as she sunk into a vague state of shock.

Liam was a beta. A beta werewolf. He was a werewolf.

Ariana had known it was a possibility of course, but she had hoped the list was wrong, or that he was something harmless. Anything but this. Anything but a monster.

"Ari? Are you okay?" Garrett's voice was soft, cutting Ariana out of her spiralling breakdown. She took a deep breath, her eyes hardening as she pushed herself into a standing position again and took in her ashen face in the mirror.

"I'm fine. I'm leaving now. Come get me," she said finally, cutting the call before either of her friends could offer any more empty words of comfort.

Another wave of nausea washed over Ariana as the reality of the situation hit her again. Liam was a werewolf. She was in the house of a werewolf. She had just kissed a werewolf. She winced as the taste of bile rose up in her throat, forcing her stomach to calm itself. She couldn't afford to make a lot of noise right now. Stealth was key. Ariana quickly splashed some cold water on her face and pinched her cheeks to try and get rid of the ghostly pale appearance she had suddenly taken on, forcing a deep breath into her body so she could focus.

Now she needed an exit strategy. She needed to get out of the house as quickly as possible, preferably without interacting with Liam at all. Taking another shaky breath, Ariana reached for the door handle, nodding to herself. She could do this. It was almost like she was on an assassin mission, all stealth and silent footsteps.

She ducked past Liam's bedroom, grateful that he was too busy reading over her chemistry notes to look up at her. Part of her wanted to duck in and grab her notes back, maybe making a hasty excuse, but the concept of even being in the same room as Liam suddenly made her want to empty the entire contents of her stomach on the spot. Instead, she slipped past the door unnoticed, her shaky feet miraculously remaining steady when they needed to be.

Getting down the stairs was easy since his mom had the television on quite loudly in the lounge room. Ariana vaguely wondered when she's arrived home and if she even knew Ariana was over, but that was irrelevant now. Ariana caught a glimpse of the woman on the couch, her eyes glued to some news report on the television. She looked friendly enough, long golden hair swept up into a messy bun, and Ariana wondered if she knew what her son was. Did she know she was the mother of a monstrous creature? Shaking away the thought, Ariana focused back on the mission. Get out without being caught. Luckily Liam's mother was too busy watching the television to notice Ariana sneaking out of the front door, not even seeming to hear it click shut behind Ariana. It was almost too easy but Ariana barely dared to let that thought in, just in case something suddenly went wrong.

Moments later Ariana was rushing down the front path, keeping her head low as she stepped smoothly onto the footpath. She didn't waste any time hovering at the gate, not even daring to look back up to Liam's window. Instead she slipped down the footpath, her eyes frantically scanning the road for a glimpse of Garrett's car. Sure enough he swerved around the corner a second later, halting to a stop on the curb just ahead of Ariana. She sprinted the last few steps and swung the back passenger seat open, sliding in without a word.

Swinging the door shut, Ariana pulled herself into the seat, pulling her seatbelt across her body. Violet turned to face her, opening her mouth to speak but Ariana shook her head, cutting her off swiftly as she interrupted her. "Just drive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUN! Ariana knows the truth about Liam! Oh dear we have a lot of angst ahead, just when they were starting to be happy. But this is still just the beginning! Anyway I hope you enjoyed that chapter!


	8. Lies

Ariana gave herself the entire car ride home from Liam's to process the news, to process the fact that the boy she had been tentatively calling her boyfriend in her mind was actually a werewolf. It was almost too horrific to comprehend, but she forced her brain to mull it all over until Garrett finally pulled the car into their apartment complex.

It was hard to picture Liam as an actual werewolf despite having suspected it in the back of her mind since she had found his name on the list. He had put on such a good act, seeming so normal and sweet, never giving her any major clue that he was secretly hiding glowing eyes and claws. Had it all just been some kind of sick game? Reeling her in just to slaughter her later? The nausea had managed to settle itself somewhere in Ariana's stomach, a reminder that she had kissed the very kind of monster she had sworn to take down.

Still, part of Ariana had to admit that it made a lot of sense. Liam's poor excuses for standing her up were just false half hearted lies to cover up his supernatural activities. It made sense but that didn't mean Ariana was fine by any means, her eyes still prickling with unshed tears as she climbed out of the car. The shock was slowly wearing off, replaced by a sense of resolve instead.

The three orphans walked into their apartment in silence, Garrett and Violet apparently too hesitant to even talk to each other in case they set Ariana's temper off. But by the time she entered the apartment, swinging the door closed behind her, she was ready to talk.

"Okay, tell me everything," she said, turning to face Garrett and Violet, her expression as calm as she could make it.

"Everything?" Violet furrowed her brows at Ariana, as if she was waiting for Ariana to break.

"Yes. I need to know it all. I need to know who-what we're dealing with. I need to know what Liam is and how dangerous he is. And we need to start planning our next move," Ariana said practically, her voice void of any emotion as she followed Garrett who was already heading over to the couch to fetch his laptop. She sunk onto the couch beside him, folding her legs up as she flickered her gaze between the other two.

"Okay. I'll start from the top," Garrett said finally, his eyes flickering over her with a hint of concern. "So Scott is the true alpha, and we're not quite sure what that means for him but he's definitely a big threat and he'll put up a good fight. We're definitely not the first to come after him. Word is that there's already been a few other assassins in to claim their money from his death and…well he's still walking around isn't he?"

"So basically, watch out for the big bad wolf," Violet quipped, easing her body onto the floor in front of the couch, stretching her long legs out in front of her. "Also he's worth the most on the list. Twenty five million, so really he should be top priority."

"Vi, I already told you before, he's not going to be an easy kill." Garrett threw Violet a hard look that suggested they had probably spent most of the car ride before getting Ariana having this exact argument. "He went up against a whole pack of alphas and he was the only one standing at the end."

Violet let out an irritated huff, slumping against the couch, mumbling something about Garrett being afraid of a good challenge but Garrett pointedly ignored her, choosing to launch back into his spiel about the rest of the creatures he'd managed to get information on.

 

At some point in the evening Ariana had slid off the couch until she was lying spread out on the floor, her head resting in Violet's lap as Violet stroked Ariana's hair in attempt to sooth the pain of the overwhelming information.

The three of them sat in silence for a while, their brains all processing their new knowledge. It was a lot to process, knowing that there were so many monsters roaming their own school hallways. Garrett had managed to work out the types of creatures they were dealing with although their weaknesses were still mostly unknown. The werewolves would be easy but Ariana needed to process the existence of kitsunes and were-coyotes before she could start thinking about how to take them down.

"What do you think it would be like if we were just normal teenagers?" Garrett asked finally, breaking the silence. He had closed his laptop now and was staring at the wall with an uncharacteristic look of wistfulness.

"What, you mean if we weren't teenage assassins kicking ass and earning big money?" Violet asked, glancing up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, exactly. Can you imagine if we just had normal lives?" Garrett shrugged, sinking off the couch to join the two girls on the floor. He shifted around for a moment until he was lying next to the coffee table just beside Ariana. Violet pursed her lips in thought as she began braiding Ariana's long hair, her mind sifting through the long list of what-ifs.

Ariana bit her lip as she briefly pondered the possibility of a normal life without the stress of being an assassin alongside homework. They hadn't planned to become assassins of course. It wasn't exactly a childhood goal, but they'd been three orphaned preteens desperate for money and determined to survive. Garrett had come across someone who knew someone who needed a job done and they'd been the only people willing to try and unsuspecting enough to get away with it. Now they'd earned enough money to live comfortably and they continued because they were good at it. Normal lives seemed like a far off fantasy, although that was the case whether Ariana was killing or not. Normal lives were for kids who weren't shuffled between foster homes and families.

"Well even if we weren't doing this I'd still be an orphan. Violet and I would still be holed up at the Evans' house living in misery and afraid of showering for longer than four minutes," Ariana finally quipped, her mind flashing back to the last foster home she'd had to put up with before Garrett had rocked up with a plan and an exit strategy. "And you would still be stuck at the Danvers house. We all know how much you loved that hellhole," she added, stretching her neck up to give Garrett a smirk.

Garrett let out a groan in response, lifting his arms to cover his face. "Don't even remind me of that house. Those nightmares are never going to go away." It wasn't like the Danvers had been abusive to Garrett in the same way that Violet and Ariana had suffered; rather the Danvers had just been a little too strict and pristine for the messy pre-teen boy at the time. Still it was bad enough for Garrett to be permanently anxious about bringing dirt into their apartment.

"But that's not just what I meant. I mean what if we were just normal kids, with parents and everything," he said finally, his voice slightly muffled by his arms still resting over his face.

It was an odd thing though, to imagine a normal life. Ariana thought about her parents a lot of course. She thought about all of the reports about the night they were killed. She thought about what they must have been like, and what they would have been like if they were here today. But unlike Garrett and Violet, Ariana had never actually known her parents. She didn't remember the sound of their voices, or what it felt like to be held by her own mother. She'd been too young when they were taken from her. Instead she was left with bleak memories of foster parents who were too overworked and overrun with foster children to pay her any proper attention.

"I guess it would be nice to be normal," Ariana mused softly, letting her brain wander. "I mean I don't mind what we do. We get paid and if we didn't do this I don't know where we'd be. But it would be nice to have a clearer conscience."

"Says the girl with the clean hands," Violet said, a snarky expression on her face as she glanced down at Ariana.

"Clean hands but not a clean conscience, Vi," Ariana shot back drily, sticking her tongue out at Violet.

Violet just hummed in response, resting her head against the couch and letting her eyes drift shut.

"Maybe we can have a normal life once this is all done. Once we cross off as much of the list as we can. Maybe we can get out of Beacon Hills and try a normal life. For real," Garrett mused from beside Ariana, his hands resting under his head as he stared at the ceiling.

They'd always planned to get out eventually but if the plan all went right they'd definitely have enough money to get out without any problems. A fresh start. Ariana's mind briefly flickered over an image of Liam, now tarnished with the knowledge of his hidden claws and sharp teeth hiding under a deceitful sweet smile.

Ariana let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, I like the sound of that," she said finally after a quiet pause. The three of them sat in another comfortable silence, the possibility of actually getting out creating a whole new set of what-ifs.

 

Ariana made her way down the crowded corridor on Monday morning, navigating her way around the other students with Mason clearing a path in front of her. He'd been oddly quiet on the bus ride which was surprising as Ariana had fully expected him to interrogate her about her disaster of a date with Liam on Friday. She'd ignored Liam's phone calls and texts over the weekend and she was sure Liam had reached out to Mason. After all, he'd rung Garrett too which had led to Garrett spending ten minutes on the phone convincing Liam that he was sure Ariana was fine.

But instead of another bus ride full of questions, Mason had spent the ride talking all about his favourite video game and his new top score, allowing Ariana to sit in a comfortable silence as she nodded and pretended she was following along as she wondered just how long she would be able to put off the inevitable confrontation with Liam.

Unfortunately the inevitable was a little closer than she had hoped for. Ariana halted at her locker as she spotted Liam standing at the other end of the corridor talking to his alpha. Narrowing her eyes, Ariana turned her gaze to Mason who was now standing behind her, essentially blocking her escape path. "What are you doing?" she hissed at him, eyes widening slightly as she noticed Liam's gaze locking onto her.

"Me? Nothing!" Mason's eyes widened but he was already edging away from her, giving a small nod towards Liam. He mumbled something about 'your own good' before ducking back around the corner with an apologetic shrug, leaving her to face Liam alone.

"Hi."

Ariana stared back at him, her mind suddenly blank as she forgot all about Garrett's list of suggested excuses to use. She knew she was supposed to feel awfully repulsed and terrified now that she knew the truth. She was supposed to be cold and distant to protect herself. But instead all she could think about was how blue his eyes were today. Were they normally this shade of bright blue? Realising that she needed to say something back, Ariana quickly shook off that last train of thought and arranged her face into a neutral expression. "Hi," she said simply.

"So…um, you left this at my place on Friday," Liam said as he held her backpack up towards her. "You know, after you um, well you kind of ran out during our study date."

Ariana took a deep breath as she accepted the backpack, hugging it to her chest as she looked up at Liam. There was an odd look in his eyes, a mixture of hurt and confusion. Even more odd was the lump suddenly forming in Ariana's throat as she took in Liam's expression.

"Oh my gosh, Okay, I'm really sorry about that. I just…panicked." Ariana was talking before her brain was even aware of it, the words forming themselves and slipping out of her mouth in a stream before she could even process what was happening. "I just…look, I haven't had many boyfriends before and you and I were studying but then we _weren't_ studying," Ariana ducked her head away, turning to her locker to quickly twist the lock open so she could pull a few books out before continuing, "And I guess I just panicked and I got nervous and then I ran out. And then I was just really embarrassed over the whole thing…"

Liam watched her, his eyes narrowing slightly as Ariana spoke. She trailed off, her brain finally kicking in and forcing her to shut up before she humiliated herself any further. A small part of herself inwardly cheered at her on the spot improvisation, surprised at how real and genuine she had managed to sound. She watched anxiously as Liam frowned slightly, taking in her small speech.

Finally a small smile slipped up onto his lips as he looked shyly back at her. "Huh, so I'm your boyfriend then?"

It was a weird conclusion to come to out of her weird unplanned monologue but Liam's shy smile was oddly contagious. Ariana felt a blush burning up onto her cheeks as she glanced down, hugging her books closer to her chest. "What? Oh…um, right…"

Liam's eyes widened slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean…it's just you said boyfriend and we haven't really labeled it yet and…"

"No, it's okay." Ariana cut Liam off before he could ramble any further. A small part of her mind was pointing frantically to the imaginary warning sign above his head that said WEREWOLF, a reminder that she should probably just make up another excuse and walk away. But something deeper was willing her to stay, to smile back at him. "I mean, is that what you want?" she asked finally, looking up through her eyelashes at him.

"Yeah of course! I mean yeah, that'd be cool," Liam quickly corrected himself, leaning against the locker beside Ariana with an awkward smile.

"Great." Ariana bit her lip as she looked up at him, the fear and uncertainty in her mind suddenly fading into white noise. The two of them stood still for a moment before they were rudely interrupted by the loud abrasive sound of the school bell, causing them to both jolt a little in surprise.

"Oh shoot, I'm gonna be late for English. I'll see you later?" Ariana cocked her head to the side, giving what she hoped was a genuine and convincing smile. Liam seemed convinced, bobbing his head as he returned her smile. Then, without putting too much thought into it, Ariana leaned up slightly and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her stomach swooping slightly as she watched his cheeks reddening. Before he could react any further, she swung her locker door shut, flashed him a smile and hurried off towards her English class.

That confrontation hadn't exactly gone to plan, but judging on Mason's face when he saw her walking into the classroom, it had gone exactly as he had hoped. That boy was far more cunning than she gave him credit for. Now she just needed a convincing argument to give to Violet and Garrett. She wasn't quite sure how she could explain the fact that she was suddenly officially dating someone on their hit list.

 

"You alright?" Garrett glanced over at Violet who was fiddling with the collar of her denim jacket in attempt to cover up the lingering scar from Carrie Hudson. It had been over a week and the scar still looked pretty nasty, despite Violet spending twenty minutes this morning using various concealers to try and cover it up. Ariana had spent two periods of class convincing Violet that it was barely visible unless you were looking for it.

"It doesn't hurt, it's just showing up more than it should. I'm fine," Violet said, rolling her eyes at Ariana who just shook her head in response. Ariana knew Garrett was just being a little overprotective but she had to admit she was still a little nervous too, especially since that scratch could definitely lead to questions if anyone noticed it. Violet already seemed unfazed by it though, her mind clearly focusing on other priorities. "I can handle a scratch or two if I know we're eventually going for the real money."

Garrett rolled his eyes at Violet's impatience. "We are."

"When?"

"Tonight." The wicked gleam was back in Garrett's eyes and Ariana narrowed her eyes as she followed his gaze to the large poster on the wall several feet away reminding students the lacrosse scrimmage tonight.

Ariana's eyes flickered between the other two, watching their expressions. "I still think this is dangerous. It's too open. We've never attempted something like this. It's a big risk."

Violet's lips were pursed in thought, and she took a deep breath before leaning closer towards Ariana to speak. "I still think we should use the match to take down all three wolves."

"No. Not Liam." Ariana shook her head defiantly, giving Violet a look that dared her to disagree. She had briefly mentioned her early morning conversation with Liam to the other two, but she may have left out certain details. Like the fact that she had willingly agreed to make things official with a werewolf. If they could withhold information from her she figured she was entitled to do the same. And anyway, Ariana had a feeling Violet and Garrett wouldn't react too well to that information. Still, Ariana couldn't pretend that she was okay with taking Liam down.

"Oh come on Ari, he's been lying to you all this time. And he's a werewolf. Don't you want to get some revenge? Take him down? This game is the perfect chance." Violet lowered her voice as she looked at Ariana, eyebrows raised.

"Look," Ariana said slowly as her brain whirled into action, "I think it would be better for us if we leave Liam for now. I think I'm back on his good side now so maybe I can keep pretending things are fine and we can use him to get more information on McCall's pack."

Violet's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, you want to fake date him to get info? Damn Ari, that's cruel."

"Now I'm cruel? We're literally planning a murder here," Ariana hissed, lowering her voice slightly as a group of students walked a little too close past her. Honestly, did the students of Beacon Hills have no sense of boundaries?

Garrett and Violet were eyeing each other doubtfully though, clearly uncertain of Ariana's ability to pull off this ruse. After all, she wasn't the actor of their little group. That role generally went to Garrett, ever the king of dramatics, or Violet when they needed someone to lure a target somewhere. Ariana was the one with the clean hands, almost always keeping out of the action itself. This ruse would possibly put her straight into the action, but Ariana could see that Garrett was already considering it. He looked back at Ariana, his brow furrowed as he ignored Violet's hushed protests.

"Come on, Garrett. You know I can do it. If I can get close to Liam I can get close to the whole pack and get dirt on them all. Trust me, give me a week and I'll find McCall's weakness." The words fell from her lips easily as she pleaded with Garrett but she could also feel her own curiosity burning already. She liked Liam, but she did like the idea of a little research project.

"Fine. Okay, you'll pretend to date Liam. But be careful. Don't forget what he really is. He's dangerous and for all we know he's using you too," Garrett warned carefully as he began to usher the two girls forwards again. They made their way towards the cafeteria, Ariana's eyes already darting around to find Liam's face. He was sitting at their usual table with Mason beside him, the two of them engaged in what looked like a heated discussion but what was probably just about that video game they were obsessed with.

"Okay, so we're doing this? We're actually letting her do this?" Violet interrupted Ariana's observations to hiss at Garrett. "This is insane."

Garrett glanced over at Ariana as they walked to the end of the cafeteria line and shrugged his shoulders. "Ari has a point. This is our best chance to get the dirt on the rest of that pack. She can be our insider."

"Fine," Violet huffed finally, clearly more miffed about the fact that that she didn't get to play undercover for once rather than being actually concerned for Ariana. "But when this goes horribly wrong and Liam figures out you're just using him, don't come crying to me."

"Violet, we've been teenage assassins for a year. I think I've perfected my ability to lie pretty well by now. I'll be fine." Ariana didn't mention that it wouldn't be much of a lie. Sure, she was very aware of her ulterior motive, but she would be lying to herself if she didn't acknowledge the butterflies that had swooped into her stomach the moment she spotted Liam in the cafeteria. She'd be lying if she pretended the Benefactor's list was the only thing drawing her to Liam.

Not that she dared to actually admit that aloud. To admit that was to make it real, and as long as she let Garrett and Violet believe she was using Liam, she could pretend it was true. For now she could continue this act, deliberately ignorant of the possibility that she could actually be falling for a werewolf.

 

"Wolfsbane. That's wolfsbane?" Garrett frowned as he watched Ariana stirring the liquid around in the beaker. He had been silently watching her working on liquifying the yellow flower into a poison for a few minutes now while Violet sat scrolling through Garrett's deadpool creature notes on her phone. They'd managed to sneak into an unused Chemistry lab after school, easily shaking Liam off as he ducked away with Mason to get warmed up for the game. The three orphans were running on limited time now, keenly aware of the looming match and murder taking place only an hour away.

"Yes, I told you already." Ariana didn't bother to look up at Garrett as she answered his question. She knew he was a little on edge but his questions were getting a little irritating as she tried to work.

"I thought wolfsbane was purple."

"Not this species. Which is very rare and very expensive," Violet added, looking up from her phone to give Garrett a pointed look.

Garrett frowned back at her, waving a hand up in indignation. "What's that supposed to mean? Don't screw up?"

"She just means don't miss," Ariana said calmly, keeping her eyes focused on the liquid. She had been more than pleased to get her hands on this wolfsbane given its potent reputation. It hadn't been easy to get her hands on since it was so rare, but thanks to her handy connections with several corrupt chemists and florists around town, she'd tracked down enough to take down a wolf.

"Are you sure it's going to be enough?" Violet asked doubtfully, her eyes trained on the beaker as Ariana worked.

"Violet, have I ever let you down? Trust me, this will work," Ariana assured Violet, giving the liquid a stir and watching it swish around in the beaker. Surely Violet knew better than to doubt Ariana's poisons. "All you have to do is nick him, that's it."

"Even on an alpha…" Violet spoke carefully, moving closer to Ariana with a vaguely unnerving look of excitement in her eyes.

"Violet, come on, don't do this now," Ariana said with a sigh, glancing up at Garrett who had narrowed his eyes at Violet, clearly already preparing his argument yet again. "I don't want to listen to you and Garrett bickering about this again when I'm trying to focus."

Ariana understood Violet's desire to take down Scott, she really did. He was responsible for turning Liam into a monster and he was worth a lot of money. But Ariana was also sensible and she knew taking him down would take more than just a splash of wolfsbane.

"I'm just saying, I don't know why we're going after that beta when there's an alpha on the field. I get why we're leaving Liam. I do, and that's fine. Whatever, we can take him down the next time he pisses Ari off," Violet said, nodding her head at Ariana, "But this is our best chance to take down the alpha without getting caught."

Garrett dropped his head down in irritation as he let out a sigh. "An entire pack of alphas went after McCall and he was the one left standing," was all he said back.

"It's a lot of money."

"So's the beta. We go after him and only him tonight. It's a big public event and I don't want to draw suspicion to us so tonight we stick to the plan. After that we can start crossing off the McCall pack." Garrett threw Violet a stern look, waiting until she had dropped her head down in defeat before he relaxed.

"Fine, I guess that gives Ari some time to get closer to Liam so she can get more information," Violet admitted.

Ariana didn't add that she was also avoiding hurting Liam because of her own feelings for him. That information was better kept to herself until she worked out her feelings properly. "Alright, it's ready," she said finally, holding the liquified wolfsbane up to eye level with a satisfied smirk.

It was a relatively simple poison to make up since all she really needed was the wolfsbane, but she'd thrown in a bit of spare Pancuronium Bromide that she'd found in her chemical collection to help paralyse the wolf if the wolfsbane didn't work quick enough. This was definitely one of her favourite poisons so far. Simple but hopefully very effective.

Garrett lifted his lacrosse stick up, pulling the top section off to reveal the dagger within. Ariana carefully lowered a dropper into the beaker to get most of the poison before moving the dropper to hover over the dagger. With a steady hand she squeezed the dropper, letting the poison slowly drip down the dagger until the it was completely coated.

Sliding the dagger back into his lacrosse stick, Garret smirked at the other two orphans. "Alright ladies. Everybody good on the plan?"

Ariana exchanged a quick eye roll with Violet. They both knew he was asking a rhetorical question as he prepared himself to launch into another spiel, breaking down the plan into something a lot more complicated than it actually was. "Of course, but you're going to go through it all anyway," Ariana said, putting the dropper back into the beaker carefully and dusting her hands off as she waited for Garrett to launch into the plan.

"Alright, so as soon as I get eyes on the beta, I'll give you both the signal and point him out for you. I'll wait until I get a clear shot and then I'll nick him. He'll probably get carried off the field and back to the nursing office, so Violet you'll need to intervene and get rid of any other witnesses. Just be discreet if you can. We don't get paid for any extra bodies."

Violet let out a long suffering sigh, earning a pointed glare from Garrett who held her gaze until she nodded. "Fine, keep the casualties to a minimum. I get it. Continue."

"Right." Garrett smirked, satisfied as he launched back into it, "Now Ari, you'll have the extra wolfsbane with you so you stick near Violet and keep an eye out for anyone who might walk past."

"I'm the eyes then," Ariana confirmed, pleased that she hadn't just been delegated to the sidelines this time. It was still slightly out of the action but it was better than being told to stay on the bleachers.

Garrett nodded, a familiar cocky grin sliding onto his face. "Exactly. And be on alert for the beta's pack. We don't know if they'll be at the match but they might try to help him."

"Don't worry, I've got the ordinary wolfsbane with me as well, just in case," Ariana said with a smirk.

"Perfect. Hopefully we can make this as clean as possible. We've still got the McCall pack to go after so we really don't want to get caught or make anyone suspicious. We get the job done and then I finish the game."

Violet flashed her wicked grin at Ariana as they followed Garrett out of the lab and through the corridors towards the lacrosse field. "You ready to get a little richer?" she asked Ariana as they stepped outside.

Ariana let out a deep breath as she nodded her head, a dark expression briefly brushing over her face. "I'm ready. It's show time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading another chapter! We're getting closer to the juicy stuff with the lacrosse scrimmage approaching so although we didn't have a lot of action in this chapter, I can promise you it's not far away now. As usual please leave a little review if you have a moment, however short! I always love hearing people's thoughts on each chapter! And feel free to check out my tumblr (fraysquake) for Ariana edits and chapter sneak peaks :)


	9. Monster

The lacrosse field had an oddly eerie vibe to it as Ariana followed Violet up to the bleachers, but perhaps she was just projecting that vibe herself because of  what was about to go down. She took in the large noisy crowd already gathering in their seats, and the bright lights shining down on the field where the players were all roaming around in pre-game mode. It was a very open space and very well lit. This was probably the most exposed assassination job she and the other two orphans had ever attempted and Ariana could definitely feel the jitters in her stomach forming.

"Ugh, I hate this suspense," Violet murmured under her breath to Ariana as they hovered at the edge of the bleachers, her eyes scanning their team's area for Garrett. He was sitting down in the middle of a conversation with a few other boys from the team. He glanced briefly up at the girls, flashing them a quick smirk before returning to his conversation.

"I'd be shocked if you weren't. Just be patient. We have to be careful tonight," Ariana hissed back to Violet as she looked around the field, her eyes already searching for Liam's face before she was conscious of it.

"When have I ever been patient?" Violet shot back, the corner of her lip tilting into half a smirk as Ariana paused her search for Liam to roll her eyes in response.

Ariana's eyes finally settled on Liam, a small smile already slipping up her lips. She watched him for a moment as he stood with Mason a few feet away from the bleachers. Before she was aware of what she was doing, Ariana found herself walking over to them, ignoring Violet's protests from behind her.

Liam didn't notice her approaching, his eyes too busy glaring over at one of the Devonford Prep players. Ariana smiled to herself as she reached him and Mason, slinking in between the two boys.

"-I think can take him."

Ariana frowned, a little confused, as she caught the end of Liam's sentence. "Who are you taking now?"

Liam turned suddenly at her voice, and his eyes lit up as he looked down at her. "Hey! Where did you come from?" he asked, grinning as he threw one arm around her, pulling her a little closer. "Oh, never mind. There's just this jerk from Devonford, Brett. He doesn't like me too much," Liam's gaze lingered back at the guy who was currently tugging his shirt off.

Ariana followed his gaze and her eyes widened a fraction as she pulled her eyes up from his abs to his face. Brett Talbot. Her mind flashed to the Benefactor's list again.

_Brett Talbot - 1m_

She hadn't realised it would be so easy to spot him. Ariana watched him for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she watched him pulling his gear on, trying to get a good look at which number he was. Finally Brett turned his back, giving Ariana a clear view of his shirt. Twenty-eight. Perfect. At least now she wouldn't have any trouble spotting him on the field during the match. And he had an issue with Liam which made her feel significantly less bad about the plan for tonight.

"What do you think you're doing?" Liam's voice interrupted her and she shot her head up, ready to defend herself but Liam was giving a suspicious glare to Mason instead. Ariana raised an eyebrow as she looked at Mason who was still staring over at Brett, his eyes a little dazed. Hopeless.

"What? Me? I'm agreeing with you. I'm being agreeable." Mason was a terrible liar. Ariana rolled her eyes, leaning into Liam a little more as she bit back a laugh.

Liam was less amused though, staring at Mason with an offended look. "You think he's hot don't you?"

Mason was still staring, his head moving back and forth in an half hearted attempt to disagree. "No-"

"-Yes." Ariana threw in, grinning as Liam turned his annoyed expression to her. "Kidding!"

"No, not at all. No way." Mason was still shaking his head though, but his eyes, still glued to Brett, were giving away his thoughts quite clearly. "Maybe. Yeah, maybe a little."

Liam glared at Mason pointedly until Mason finally pulled his gaze back to him. "He wants to destroy me, remember?"

"I think you can definitely take him" Mason paused, "…And then give him to me," he added, grinning at Liam as Ariana giggled beside him. "Nah, just go out there and kick their smug prep school asses, man." Mason shook his head with a laugh as he turned away, heading towards Violet who was already in the bleachers waving at him and Ariana to hurry up and join her.

"Well I think you can take him, but just be careful okay? It's only a scrimmage." Ariana reminded Liam, turning to face him properly. Half of her wanted to warn him to stay away from Brett for this match, but that would just make him suspicious so she held her tongue.

Liam tipped his head back with a sigh but he was still smiling as he took both her hands in his, squeezing them slightly. "I'll be fine, trust me. I can take him." He nodded as if he was trying to convince himself as well, and Ariana smiled up at him, hoping the tension she felt wasn't too obvious to him. He seemed too preoccupied though, his eyes wandering back to the Devonford team with a hint of worry.

"Alright, well I think you're going to go great. And if you get worried I'll be cheering for you," Ariana said finally, squeezing his hands gently. Liam looked down at her, his eyes warm. He held her gaze for a moment before leaning in to press a kiss to her lips, letting go of her hands to wrap his own hands around her so he could pull her closer. Ariana leaned up slightly pressing herself against him and allowing her hands to rest up on his shoulders for a moment longer before Coach Linstock blew his whistle, breaking up their little moment.

Liam pulled away reluctantly, giving Ariana a smile before he jogged away to join the rest of his team. Ariana paused for a second, biting down the stupid smile that was trying to wrestle itself onto her face. She needed to focus now. No more distractions. Pulling herself together, she moved towards the bleachers, taking a quick detour towards where Garrett was sitting offside on the bench putting the last of his gear on.

Ducking her head down slightly to Garett's ear as she reached him, Ariana spoke in a hushed whisper, "The beta is number twenty-eight."

"Got it," Garrett murmured back, his eyes already scanning the opposition for the number. Ariana hovered next to Garrett for a moment, waiting until his eyes locked on Talbot with a small but sharp nod. "Wait for my signal," Garrett reminded her.

Ariana went to step away but hesitated, turning on her heel to face him again. "Garrett!" She waited until he turned back to her, eyebrows raised in question. Ariana bit her lip, the tension in her body flaring up again as a reminder of the risk they were putting themselves through tonight. "Get it done," she said finally.

Garrett threw her a wink, nodding briefly before he turned back to the other lacrosse players standing around, all ready to begin the match.

As the scrimmage began, Ariana settled into her seat between Mason and Violet, trying to ignore the tension in her body as she waited for Garrett's signal. She managed to relax as the match continued, allowing her focus to be pulled to Liam as he raced up and down the field, determination in his eyes.

But ultimately not even Liam's skills could fully captivate Ariana's attention. Lacrosse just wasn't a fun game to watch, but then again Ariana was yet to find any sport actually entertaining. She did enjoy watching Liam play and it was fun cheering him and Garrett on, but she was a little too on edge with anticipation to fully engage. Violet's leg had been jiggling up and down ever since she sat down, indicating that she was equally anxious. Luckily Mason either hadn't noticed the tension in his two friends shoulders or he had just assumed they were nervous about the game. If only he knew how much was riding on tonight.

After about fifteen minutes Ariana felt Violet's knee nudge her own, a little too much force behind it to be an accident. She glanced sideways at Violet but Violet was staring straight at Garrett standing apart from the other players, slightly off centre of the field with his stick twirling in one hand with practiced ease. He twirled it a few times before switching hands and holding it up as if he was just stretching but Ariana knew better.

"Here we go," Violet murmured quietly so only Ariana could hear. Ariana hummed in response, wringing her hands in her lap as the players all gathered in the middle of the field where the Scott McCall and Brett Talbot were facing off. A moment later the ball was back in motion with the players following suit. Ariana watched closely as Garrett moved towards Brett, but at the last second Liam suddenly appeared and without a warning, all three boys collided. Brett fell straight to the ground with Liam following suit almost immediately a few feet away.

"Liam!" Ariana leat up out of her seat, one hand running through her hair anxiously.

"Crap," Violet stood up to join her, her eyes narrowing as she watched the swarm of people surrounding the boys. "Did he get it?" she murmured to Ariana, frowning slightly.

"He got someone. I just can't tell who," Ariana replied darkly, wishing Garrett would look up at them so she could throw him a glare but he was too busy watching the chaos from the outskirts of the group.

"Oh, Liam's alright. Thank God! That was some collision!" Mason piped up from his seat as the crowd on the field parted slightly to reveal Liam standing beside Scott and his friend, Stiles? Was that his name? Garrett had mentioned his name a few times but Ariana hadn't really paid attention. Anyway the important thing was Liam was standing up and very clearly not paralysed. Either the poison hadn't worked or Garrett had just gone for the one target and judging on Brett's state as he was carried away, it was the latter. Still, that had been a little too close.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Violet announced suddenly, giving Ariana a nod.

"Oh I'll come with you," Ariana said quickly, throwing Mason an apologetic look. "We'll be right back!"

Mason just sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Really? You can't just go to the bathroom alone? Why do girls always go in packs?" he asked, a teasing grin on his face. Ariana didn't bother responding other than sticking out her tongue to him as she followed Violet back down the bleachers.

"Hang on, you go find Brett. I gotta talk to Garrett quickly," she said as they reached the bottom of the bleachers. She could see Garrett standing offside by himself as the rest of the players took a brief break. Violet flashed her a quick smirk as she slipped away to follow Brett, a gleeful look in her eyes as she got ready to kill.

"Okay, what the hell, Garrett?" Ariana stormed up to Garrett who was standing near the bench on the sidelines. He was clutching his lacrosse stick close to himself as he watched the beta being carried off the field and towards the locker room. As Ariana reached Garrett she reached out and shoved him with enough force to cause him to stumble back a step.

"Hey woah, what are you talking about? Also, watch your language," Garrett raised an eyebrow in amusement but quickly assumed a more serious expression when he noticed Ariana's dark expression.

Glancing around to make sure the other lacrosse players were distracted, Ariana let out a sigh. "I saw you. You almost got Liam instead. What were you thinking? We had an agreement. Only the other beta tonight."

"Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't aiming for him. Anyway I got it done. Good job on that poison. He went straight down." Garrett gave Ariana an appreciative grin which she accepted, letting go of her aggressive stance and ducking her head down, pleased that her poison had been a success after all. It had been a risk, working with a different form of wolfsbane but she was glad it had worked.

"Anyway we have bigger issues now," Garrett continued quietly, his eyes hard on hers. "McCall is suspicious. Fairly sure he knows it was me."

"What? How?" Ariana's eyes widened as she began to slip into a panic, but Garrett was quick to calm her, one hand reaching out to grab her arm before she could spiral any further.

"It's fine. I'm dealing with it. But I need to keep playing; Keep him distracted. Do you have that extra wolfsbane though? I might need it now." Garrett glanced over towards Scott who was standing offside talking to Kira and Stiles.

Ariana sighed, pulling the vile of wolfsbane out of her pocket. She passed it over to Garrett discreetly, pursing her lips as he tucked it away.

"Look, you go find Violet and make sure you finish the job." Garrett said, twirling his lacrosse stick anxiously.

"Got it. Be careful," Ariana said, giving Garrett a careful look and a nod before slinking off towards the locker rooms. She was so focused on getting to Violet and the beta that she was completely oblivious to Liam's wide eyes following her.

 

"-with a poison blade. It was laced with wolfsbane. It won't kill you." Violet was half way into her taunting speech by the time Ariana slipped into the locker room, delicately stepping around the guy Violet had knocked out who was now lying on the floor. Ariana hovered at the door for a moment, eyes narrowing as she watched the beta writhing on the floor. He looked terrified, as if he wasn't the horrific monster with the cold yellow eyes.

"Technically it probably couldn't. I'm still not one hundred percent sure on the dosage," Ariana piped up finally from her spot at the door, tilting her head with a coy smile as Brett's head snapped up to look at her. His face twisted into a look of confusion before resuming its pained expression.

"Way to ruin my moment," Violet sighed, twirling on her heels to throw Ariana a fake look of annoyance. "Anyway I was saying, the poison might not kill him. But this will." With a deadly smirk she slid her necklace off her neck and activated it. The necklace quickly transformed, the thermo-cut wire flaring bright red as it heated up. Ariana leaned against the doorframe, happy to keep her distance from the wire just in case.

The beta was still determined though as he skidded away half a foot from Violet, desperation now clear in his yellow eyes. "Why? Why are you doing this?" he asked, looking frantically between the two girls.

"Because you're worth a lot of money, Brett," Violet taunted as she stepped closer to the beta, a dark look in her eyes.

"Ugh, just hurry up Vi," Ariana said anxiously, leaning back around the doorframe to confirm that the hallway was still empty.

Violet glanced back at Ari and rolled her eyes, twirling the wire in one hand carelessly. "You are no fun."

Ariana huffed, folding her arms as she watched Violet slowly moving closer to Brett until she was hovering above him, clearly enjoying the desperate protests coming from him as he struggled to move away.

Violet was leaning down, the necklace wrapping around Brett's neck, when a sound caught Ariana's ears. She peaked carefully around the doorway and had to resist the urge to let out a gasp as she spotted someone moving quickly down the corridor.

"It's the alpha. Violet! He's coming. Like right now!" She said, eyes widening in a panic. This was not part of the plan. Garrett was meant to be distracting Scott on the field.

"Oh crap," Violet groaned, although she didn't let go of the necklace that was slowly beginning to strangle Brett, the red hot wire creating a sickening sizzling sound as it began to cut through the wolf's neck.

"Vi, hurry!" Ariana urged, leaving her post at the door to rush over to Violet. "We need to move now."

Violet glanced up at the doorway as the footsteps got closer, an odd steely look in her eyes. "Wait, come here," she said, quickly removing the wire from the now unconscious beta's neck and pulling Ariana behind a set of lockers just as Scott flew in the doorway.

Ariana pushed herself flat against the locker, holding her breath as she prayed that her frantic heartbeat wouldn't give them both away but Scott seemed too preoccupied by the sight of Brett on the floor. Ariana squeezed her eyes shut, fear slowly sinking itself into her body. She had been around Scott a few times and while the alpha didn't really scare her when she was the one carrying toxic wolfsbane, she understood that he was dangerous.

Violet did not seem to share her concerns. "They both said we shouldn't try it."

Ariana snapped her eyes open as she heard Violet's voice a few feet further than it should be. Sure enough, Violet had ducked back around the locker to ambush Scott, her necklace pulled tight around his neck. Ariana bit back a shout as she peeked around the locker, eyes wide with anger and horror. What was Violet thinking? They had agreed not to go after him yet. They had agreed to wait until they knew how to take him down properly.

"But now I've got you. I got an alpha." Before Violet could continue her threat, before her reckless actions could pay off, the alpha was turning to face her, one hand slowly tugging the necklace off his neck as if he could barely feel the sizzling pain. Or maybe he didn't. Scott was stronger than Violet had anticipated.

Ariana stared, frozen in horror, as Scott grabbed Violet by the neck, pushing her away from him and letting the necklace fall. Violet gasped, struggling against him but he was too strong.

"Go-" Violet managed to choke out the word, her eyes still on Scott as his hand raised her higher off the floor, slowly cutting off her circulation. Ariana hesitated for a heartbeat. Leaving Violet in the hands of an alpha werewolf was not on her list of good ideas. But staying would mean that Scott could take her down too and without her wolfsbane she was useless.

But Violet was giving her a wide eyed pleading look now and Ariana knew she had no choice. Scott was too occupied with Violet to notice her slowly edging to the doorway and Ariana threw her friend an apologetic look before taking off, keeping her movement quiet as possible as she ran light on her feet. At least if she got away and found Garrett now, they could work out a new plan.

She just needed to find Garrett and get his dagger. Surely there would still be some poison left on it that would slow Scott down and they could work out the rest later.

 

"Come on Garrett, quit playing your dumb game and answer your dumb phone," Ariana let out a frustrated groan as Garrett's voicemail started again and she stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the beep. As soon as the beep blared in her ears she spoke, "Garrett where the heck are you? The alpha found Violet. I got away but I don't know what's going on now but I'm at your locker. Hurry!"

Ending the call, Ariana bit her lip, leaning against Garrett's locker as she willed the adrenaline in her body to ease. Her mind was busy running through what had just happened, still unsure if she had done the right thing. Violet had said to go, to get away, and she had, but now she had essentially left her best friend to an unknown fate. For all Ariana knew, Violet was already dead, killed by the alpha she had so recklessly attacked. The guilt was already beginning to overwhelm Ariana, even though she knew there was nothing she could have done.

"It was you."

Ariana jumped at the unexpected voice. She whipped her head around to see Liam standing a few feet away, his entire body tense as he looked at her with accusatory eyes. She took a breath, her brain quickly analysing the situation and her options before deciding that feigning ignorance was the best option right now.

"Liam, you scared me. What are you talking about?" She asked, tilting her head to one side casually as she pointedly ignored the tension rising back into her body.

"You're one of _them_. You're trying to kill me and my friends!" Liam's voice was rough and angry, the look of betrayal heavy on his face as his eyes flickered between yellow and blue.

Ariana stared back at him, her mind suddenly going blank with fear as she watched him. "Liam, wait-"

"No, I heard you talking to Garrett. I know it was your poison. I know you were in on the whole plan. You were in on it all along, weren't you? You're one of the assassins." Liam advanced on Ariana slightly as he spoke. Something about the look in his eyes unsettled Ariana and she found herself edging away a fraction, her phone tightly clutched in one hand.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I just…I needed to get away from the match. Not great with crowds," she said, doing her best to shrug off her quick lie but it was too late now. Liam wasn't an idiot and he clearly didn't buy what she was saying. He knew.

"Stop lying to me. You've been lying this whole time. What was this, did you even like me? Or were you just using me?" Liam practically spat out the words, glaring at her as he moved a step closer.

"No, of course not. I never wanted to hurt you." Ariana said, trying to keep her voice calm but her increasing heart rate was forcing her into hysteria already. "Trust me, we were never going after you. I wanted to protect you!"

There was a pause as Liam's eyes slowly narrowed, a deep breath filling his chest. It was silent for a brief moment, as if the earth was deciding which way it wanted to shift.

And then Liam snapped.

"You're lying." His words came out like a snarl. His eyes were a cold cruel yellow now, his mouth opening to reveal several sharp teeth. He wasn't Liam anymore. It was like something had switched in his brain, like the werewolf within had taken over and left the sweet boy behind in the dust. Before Ariana could react properly, he was already lunging towards her.

"You liar! You're a MURDERER," Liam yelled as he pushed her with all the force he had been holding in, causing her to stumble backwards. Ariana let out a sharp cry, scrambling away from him but he was too angry and his werewolf reflexes were too quick. Before she could fully process what was happening, Liam was launching himself towards her again, one hand wrapping around her neck tightly. He slammed her against the wall as he let a roar of rage and Ariana squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled against his supernatural strength, ignoring the vague sense of pain in the back of her head.

"Liam! Please, NO-" Ariana's pleas turned into a scream as his claws scraping across her face, her hands scraping at his arms in a desperate attempt to get away. They struggled for a moment until Liam threw her down, the force behind his arms causing Ariana to slide several feet away with a painful thud, all the breath knocking itself out of her.

Finally something seemed to click back into place in Liam's mind and he stepped back, his eyes returning to their usual bright blue as a look of horror sunk in over his face. He looked down at his hands, the claws now retracting and leaving streaks of blood on his hands from where he had swiped at Ariana. Liam shook his head slowly as if stunned as he stumbled back a little more. His eyes flickered between his blood stained hands and Ariana's terrified expression as she pulled herself up off the floor, pain searing throughout her body.

Ariana had known Liam was a werewolf, and deep down she had known that at some point there would be a chance he would find out about her extracurricular activities, but she had never thought he would lash out like this. She had hoped Liam was better than the werewolves she had spent her life hating, that the awkward sweet boy she'd bumped into on the first day back was still in there somewhere. But the blood dripping down off her cheek suggested otherwise. Standing up, she looked at Liam, but now all she could see was the wolf.

"I wanted to believe you were different. But you're not. You're a monster, Liam." Her words seemed to cut something deep inside Liam and he held her gaze for a moment as he let out a huffed breath as if the wind had been knocked out of hm. It was almost as if she had stabbed him with Garrett's dagger herself.

Liam held her gaze for a long moment, the feeling of betrayal and regret both waging a war in his eyes as he watched her. The two of them stood still, staring, both betrayed, both crumbling.

"Ari?"

And suddenly the moment was shattered as Garrett appeared at the other end of the corridor. "We've gotta go. Now." His voice was urgent, but he stayed where he was, waiting for her.

Ariana let her gaze linger on Liam, giving herself a small moment to acknowledge whatever had just been shattered between them, before she pulled herself away, brushing past him as she walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whoops. Well the angst is beginning to arrive. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! Things are definitely starting to go downhill for Ariana and the orphans, as well as for Liam. This marks the end of 4x05 I.E.D. so get ready for the next chapter as we move into 4x06! Please leave a little review if you can and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! And as always you can find more about Ariana and little chapter snippets on my tumblr (fraysquake).


	10. Motionless

 

"Okay Ari, what the hell happened? What happened to your face? Are you okay?" Garrett fired several questions at Ariana as they hurried across the school's carpark and back towards his car. He hadn't said a word as they left the school building and Ariana had hoped he would save the questions for later, giving her time to process everything, but apparently this wasn't her night at all.

"I don't know," Ariana said miserably, hugging her arms around her body as she walked. Every step made her entire body ache. She was fairly sure she was going to wake up tomorrow covered in bruises but she pushed that all out of her mind, not wanting to relive the events of the night in too much detail. "We had the beta, we had him but then Scott came in so we hid. And then Violet got reckless," Ariana paused as Garrett let out an exasperated huff, before she continued, "and she tried to take him down too but he was too strong and-"

"I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna find him and kill him." Garrett cut Ariana off, glancing back towards the school as he swung the passenger door of the car open and helped Ariana climb in.

Sitting with the car's inside light on, she caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. Her long hair was all messed up from being shoved across the hallway, and the cut across her cheek had caused blood to drip down across her face although it looked worse than it probably was. Hopefully. Her eyes were bloodshot with a dark bruise already forming under one eye where Liam had swung at her in the midst of his rage.

Ariana's appearance seemed to temporarily stun Garrett as he looked at her from the driver's seat and he paused half way through pulling his door shut. "Is this from the alpha? I swear I'll kill him myself."

Ariana watched him through tired eyes, shaking her head slightly. "No, I got away."

Garrett narrowed his eyes at her. "Okay. Then what happened?"

"Liam," Ariana said dully as her mind vaguely ran over the confrontation, wincing as she briefly recollected the look in Liam's eyes as he threw her against the wall. "He heard us talking and he knows it was us. He knows you had the dagger and he knows I made the poison."

Despite the fact that Garrett had seen Liam and Ariana in the hallway, he had clearly missed their confrontation and this news seemed to stun him yet again. He stared at Ariana, speechless, before reaching for the door handle again. His eyes were hard and deadly, no hint of his typical cocky smirk left.

Ariana flew out a hand to stop him, grabbing at his shirt before he could get out of the car. "No, where are you going?"

"I'm going to kill them both," Garrett shot at her, tugging his arm away.

"You can't!'" Ariana cried out, grabbing at Garrett's arm again, this time with a tighter grip. "We need to get Violet back. Forget the werewolves. Think about Violet."

"I am thinking about Violet!" Garrett said angrily, twisting to stare at Ariana. They held each other's gaze for a moment, Ariana staring back defiantly, before Garrett dropped his head down in defeat. "Fine, I'll kill them later. You're right. First I need to go back and find Violet."

"Garrett, she might-"

"She's fine." Garrett said shortly, already half way out of the car. "I'm going in to find her. Stay here." He paused, giving Ariana a stern look. "Or at least stay near the damn car. I'll be back."

Ariana nodded quickly, instantly regretting the movement as a sharp pain shot up the back of her neck. She sunk back into her seat, closing her eyes as Garrett sprinted back towards the school. Granted, closing her eyes was probably a poor move given the dull ache in the back of her head suggesting a potential concussion, but Ariana was too exhausted and overwhelmed to think about smart choices right now.

 

"They took her," Garrett announced furiously as he swung his car door open again, causing Ariana to jump slightly at his sudden reappearance. She'd almost dozed off, her mind pushing out the night's events in favour of sleep. The wounds Liam had inflicted were slowly sinking into a dull ache throughout her and it was probably good that Garrett had returned so quickly before Ariana could actually fall asleep.

"Who? The werewolves?" Ariana sat up a little straighter, her mind already racing with panic as she pictured Violet being tortured by the alpha, his hands pressing tighter against her throat. Or worse, being attacked by Liam the way he'd attacked her.

Garrett shook his head as he started the car up again, steering the car out of the school carpark and down the road. He clutched the wheel tight as he inhaled deeply in attempt to calm himself down. "No, the police. And they know about her necklace. They're taking her into custody." He spoke in clipped sentences as the car roared down the streets a little faster than the speed limit requested. "We need to get her and we need to get out."

"What? What do you mean get out?" Ariana asked, frowning. She could see that Garrett was clearly upset but her head was still a little foggy so it took her a moment to catch up. So Violet had been caught. Well that definitely hadn't been part of the plan tonight.

"We get Violet back and then we get out of town. The police going to want to question us both too, Ari. We have to move quick." Garrett paused as he steered the car into their street, pulling over just in front of their apartment. He turned the car off, letting out a sigh before twisting to face Ariana properly. "They're looking for both of us. It's over."

Ariana exhaled slowly as she unclipped her seatbelt. "Okay, so we break her out. How? We can't just walk in and ask them to hand her over. We need a plan," she said, almost desperately. It didn't end like this. They'd always had an exit strategy but mostly due to overconfidence and optimism, they'd never bothered to actually think about the possibility of one third of the trio being locked up. That wasn't part of their exit strategy.

"Don't worry," Garrett said slowly, walking into the apartment with a furrowed brow as his brain went into overdrive. "I think I can work something out. I think I have an idea…"

 

"This is a bad idea. A really _really_ bad idea," Ariana hissed to Garrett in front of her. He didn't reply, instead holding up a hand indicating for her to keep quiet. "No Garrett, think about this. If anyone sees us here we are screwed and so is Violet."

Ariana glanced around nervously as they crossed into the school grounds, ducking low to stay hidden behind the cars around them. Luckily it was late enough in the morning that most students had arrived, leaving the carpark nice and full with plenty of cars to hide behind. Ariana could see several students roaming around in the distance and she narrowed her eyes as she made out Siobhan Brady and her little clique hovering at the edge of the carpark, probably waiting to ambush students with crappy cars so they could mock them. Everyone seemed completely oblivious to the presence of the two orphans, all unaware of the high stakes right now.

At the mention of Violet, Garrett came to a halt and twisted around to face her. "Ari, we need his help. I hate this but trust me. This will work."

"How do we even know he's going to help us?" Ariana asked, frowning. Scott McCall hadn't exactly been warm and helpful the other night when he had strangled Violet and left her to be arrested. She doubted he would be any more willing to help them today. Garrett had disappeared early this morning for an hour while Ariana packed up most of their belongings into a few duffel bags. When he'd come home he seemed pretty confident that Scott would follow their plan, although he had been a little cryptic about the whole thing.

"He will," Garrett said shortly, turning back around before Ariana could push him any further. Ariana followed him silently until they reached a line of buses, sneaking in between two of them to wait for the alpha to show up. "Now, you keep a look out while I talk to him."

Scott showed up after a minute or two, dark brown eyes already suspicious as he slipped in between the two school buses. He looked tired and on edge, which was perfect since that was exactly how Ariana felt right now.

Ariana stood beside Garrett, arms folded as she glared up at Scott, her cold expression doing more than enough to make up for her tiny frame. Garrett had often said that despite the fact that he was the muscular lacrosse player of their little trio, Ariana was probably the most menacing member of the little trio when she wanted to be.

Sure enough, Scott seemed vaguely uncomfortable as he looked at her, shifting slightly away and focusing his tense expression on Garrett instead. Ariana hardened her glare on him, instantly irritated. What was he doing with that look of desperation, as if he was the one in danger here? As if he was the one with something to lose.

"Okay, what do you want? You want me to go to Stilinski? Or I can go to my father. He's an FBI agent," Scott crossed and uncrossed his arms several times as he talked before finally settling for leaving them in clenched fists at his sides.

Garrett raised an eyebrow as he scoffed at the alpha, "You think I want you talking to anyone with a badge? I'm not getting help from a werewolf because I want you to _talk_ to someone."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Ariana watched Scott closely, taking in his confused and desperate expression again. It was almost like he really had no clue. Did he not understand his own powers and strength? How long had he been an alpha if he was still this clueless?

Garrett seemed unfazed though, pushing on with the plan. "They're transferring Violet to a federal facility. You're not gonna let that happen."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"They're going to put her in a car. We're going to follow it, and get ahead of it. You stop it," Garrett said, his tone matter-of-fact as he stared back at Scott.

"You want me to attack a car, that's your plan?" Scott stared incredulously at Garrett before shifting his eyes towards Ariana. She raised one eyebrow silently, daring him to question their plan. To be fair Garrett had proposed this part of the plan to Ariana last night when she was already a little delirious from her minor head injury and from the overwhelming shock of being attacked by her werewolf boyfriend - or ex boyfriend now she supposed. Either way, she hadn't been in the best frame of mind to approve on escape plans.

Garrett twirled his lacrosse stick casually in one hand as he watched Scott with a cold expression. "You're an alpha. If you can't stop one little car then one little beta is going to die."

Something about Garrett's words caught Ariana's attention and she blinked as her brain processed what he had just said. "Wait - what?" Ariana snapped her head towards Garrett, eyes narrowing. "Garrett, what did you do?"

Scott raised an eyebrow, his dark expression lightening slightly for a moment as he watched Ariana, almost as if her reaction had caught him off guard.

"Nothing," Garrett said, brushing Ariana off, but she slapped his arm, glaring at him. Garrett looked back at her for a moment, squaring his jaw before he finally spoke, directing his words to Scott instead. "I stabbed him with my blade dipped in wolfsbane-"

"You- you what? You used my wolfsbane on Liam? Are you insane?" Ariana wasn't sure who she was more angry at now, Liam for attacking her or Garrett for going behind her back. Sure, Liam deserved to be punished for how he had treated her and the dull ache throughout her body was a reminder of that, but it needed to be on her terms.

"He attacked you, Ariana. He could have killed you." Garrett defended himself,

That seemed to surprise Scott yet again and he opened his mouth to speak. "He what?"

Garrett turned back to Scott, a sly expression slipping onto his face. "Your boy didn't mention it? Well where do you think Ari got her scar?" He asked, tilting his head to indicate towards Ariana. With pursed lips, which caused her to wince slightly, Ariana brushed back her hair to reveal the dark red scar that sat across her left cheekbone. She looked up at Scott cooly, allowing him a good look at the damage his beta had done to her.

Scott stared at Ariana, his eyes softening momentarily. "I didn't know."

"Well now you know," Garrett cut in, hovering closer to Ariana protectively. "Now do we have a deal?"

"Fine. I'll help you," Scott said finally, dropping his head in defeat. He pulled his gaze back up to Ariana, taking in her bruises and cuts once more with a sad expression before he slipped away, heading back towards the main building just in time for the school bell.

"And that's our cue," Garrett quipped to Ariana, turning to look at her with a cocky grin. She glared back at him for a moment before turning to slink off the way they had arrived, ignoring Garrett's scoffed protests from behind her.

"Are you seriously mad at me about Liam?" Garrett asked as they weaved their way back through the carpark.

Ariana kept her head low to make sure she was properly hidden from view, still annoyed to actually respond to Garrett. She led the way through the parked cars, keeping her eyes peeled for anyone who could spot them. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she felt about Garrett's actions. She was glad that Liam was getting some kind of punishment for hurting her, but Garrett had done it without checking with her first and now Liam could die. "You just…you should have told me first. That's my poison you used," Ariana said finally.

"You're pissed because I used your poison? Or is it that I used it on Liam?" Garrett asked carefully, nudging her gently from behind. "He's a werewolf, Ari. I know we said you'd pretend to date him to get close to the pack, but you didn't actually still like him did you?"

"I don't know," Ariana said, flying around to glare at Garrett. "I don't know how I feel. He hurt me, obviously, and he's I just know that you shouldn't have done that. What did you say to him anyway?"

"I told him that he should have thought before he tried to kill someone who specialises in poison," Garrett said casually, widening his eyes defensively when Ariana intensified her glare.

"Great. Now he'll definitely think I was in on your stupid plan. _If_ he survives. Which doesn't matter because we're leaving tonight once we get Violet anyway." Ariana huffed as she continued walking, her thoughts all jumbled up in her head. Part of her was worried about Liam now, but if they were leaving tonight it didn't really matter anyway. It wasn't like she had to have anything to do with him now.

"Leaving so we can have a fresh start," Garret reminded her as they climbed back into his car. "Anyway we should get back to the apartment now. Get our stuff together before we have to go tonight. And are you sure Lucas won't spill anything? He's the only one who knows the address."

Ariana sighed, shaking her head as she tugged her seatbelt on. "We're all good. I texted him and told him to keep his mouth shut if anyone asks him. We'll be fine." She had texted Lucas last night, well aware that the police would potentially go to him for information about her whereabouts, but Lucas had her back as always, promising to keep quiet. The school had his own home address down in all her files as a precaution so the orphan's apartment would be impossible to track down unless Lucas talked. As long as he kept his word and kept his mouth shut, they were safe.

"Alright, let's go get our stuff ready then. And maybe we can start looking for where we should go next. Maybe somewhere near a beach…" Garrett mused as he steered the car away from the school, careful to take the back roads in case there were any police cars looking out for them.

Ariana reluctantly allowed a small smile to ease onto her tired face, not completely forgiving Garrett but content to follow along with the plan for now.

 

"This not going to work," Scott said, his voice tense as he looked down at the gun sitting in his lap. He'd been staring at it for the last few minutes, ever since Ariana had pushed it towards him. She had been more than comfortable holding onto the case in the backseat but Garrett insisted on showing Scott the gun. Ariana wasn't sure if it was to try and intimidate Scott, or to show off, or whether Garrett just wanted Scott to see what he was dealing with, but either way Scott looked uncomfortable.

Garrett seemed quite pleased with himself, smirking as he glanced over at Scott before turning his gaze back to the road, eyes scanning for the police van. "All you have to do is stop the car. I'll take care of the rest."

"Great. Good to know Garrett is comfortable taking care of things himself," Ariana shot out, glaring at the back of Garrett's head.

Garrett out out a frustrated sigh as he tapped on the steering wheel impatiently. "Not now, Ari."

Ariana opened her mouth to shoot out another retort, but she was interrupted by the sound of a car rumbling closer. The three of them all froze and Ariana sunk a little deeper into her seat as she watched the police van fly past. Garrett barely hesitated, instantly shifting the car's gears and pulling back onto the road to to tail the van.

The rest of the car ride was about as tense as to be expected, with Scott looking anxious in the passenger seat while Garrett drove calmly and Ariana sat in the back seat attempting to bore a hole in Garrett's head with her glare. He seemed to be well aware of what she was doing, wisely choosing to stay quiet as he watched the road.

"There's a stop sign about a half a mile ahead." Ariana piped up finally, glancing back and forth from the road to the GPS open on Garrett's phone that she'd grabbed from him earlier. Garrett nodded with a hum of acknowledgement, his eyes focused intently on the police van in front, following its every move from a safe distance.

Scott pushed his hood off his head, turning to frown at Garrett. "So I…take out the tires with my claws?" he asked, his voice full of uncertainty that made Ariana question if he was definitely the 'true alpha'.

"Teeth, claws, heat vision, whatever. Just stop them. You ready?" Garrett looked over at Scott quickly before glancing in the review mirror at Ariana with a nod.

Ariana nodded slightly back and chewed on her bottom lip anxiously as she glanced back down at the GPS screen again. She watched the little blue icon moving along with them as the car got closer to the stop sign, closer to the point of attack.

But it looked like someone had reached the point of attack first. Ariana heard Garrett sucking a breath in suddenly and she glanced over at his white knuckles clutching the steering wheel a little tighter. Following his gaze now, she looked out of the front window of the car to where the police van was supposed to be.

Well it was there, and it definitely wasn't going anywhere else any time soon. The police van was tipped over on one side with a body lying a few feet away. Ariana sat up a little straighter, pulling herself up between the front seats as her heartbeat increased slightly. The body looked like an older male which meant it wasn't Violet, but it still wasn't a good sign.

"Stop- STOP THE CAR," Scott yelled, his hands flying up to brace himself as Garrett slammed one foot on the brake. Ariana clung onto the head of the drivers seat, shoving Garrett's phone into her dress pocket. Her eyes still scanned the area around the car for a sign of Violet. As soon as the car came to a halt, Scott was already halfway out of the car. He sprinted towards the van, not even glancing back at the other two.

"Stay in the car, Ari," Garrett said, his voice tense as he climbed out of the drivers seat. Ariana nodded quickly, quite happy to stay in the car for now. She reached down by her feet to grab Garrett's lacrosse stick and fiddled with it for a moment until Garrett swung open her passenger door. "I'll grab Violet. You stay here and don't move. Could be a trap," he murmured, taking the stick from Ariana.

"Be careful," Ariana said quickly, holding her hand out to him, suddenly too tense to be annoyed at him any longer. Garrett flashed her his usual cocky smirk as he squeezed her hand tightly, before marching towards the other vehicle, both hands now firm on the lacrosse stick.

Ariana rolled the window down a fraction just in time to hear Scott calling out, "She's not in the car. Violet's gone."

Gone. Violet was gone. The words almost didn't make sense as Ariana stared at Scott hunched over another man next to the van, his head shaking hopelessly. What did he mean gone? Where would Violet be? She must have known they were coming to save her so why would she break out on her own? Ariana glanced down at Garrett's phone clutched in her hands, checking it for any message from Violet but there was nothing. No message. No indication of where Violet had gone.

Ariana froze for a brief moment before her hands flew to the door handle, ready to leap out of the car and run to Garrett, but he had stopped walking a few feet away from the vehicle. He was staring out into something off the road, and it took Ariana's eyes a moment to adjust in the darkness before she saw it. The monster.

It was huge, far bigger than Garrett, and taller than the police van. It looked like some kind of deformed soldier, not quite animal but not quite human, standing up right covered in a weird form of armour. Far from anything Ariana had ever seen. It was more horrific than seeing Liam's werewolf form and Ariana had a bad feeling that this creature could do a lot more damage too.

Garrett, being his usual cocky self, seemed unfazed by it, calling out, "You want me? Come on, come and get me!" He hovered at the van, staring down the creature, while Ariana waited in the car with baited breath.

"No, they're Berserkers! Run!" Scott shouted as he noticed the creature too, waving an arm at Garrett. Scott barely glanced back at the car, seemingly forgetting about Ariana's presence as he turned his attention back to one of the men lying down near the van. Berserkers. Ariana was sure she'd heard that term somewhere although she couldn't place it. It was probably one of the many monsters Lucas had used to scare her back in their old foster home. Either way, she really needed Garrett to get back to the car now.

Garrett seemed unfazed by the Berserkers though, moving towards them again instead with his usual cocky strut. "Yeah that's right. You're not so big," he taunted the creatures, looking them up and down as he moved closer.

Ariana froze in horror as the giant creature moved towards Garrett, its footsteps heavy but menacing as it approached him. Garrett seemed unafraid, twirling his lacrosse stick expertly, almost as if he was more interested in showing off his skills than he was of actually fighting the creature. Of course, it was typical of him to be more focused on his ego than the danger in front of him. He was just as reckless as Violet sometimes, especially when he was feeling cocky.

"YOU'RE NOT SO BIG," Garrett let out a yell, almost like a war cry, as he twisted the stick to reveal his dagger inside, swinging it up to attack the creature.

But before Ariana could even open her mouth to scream, another monstrous creature appeared out of the shadows, its sharp claws slicing through Garrett and impaling him through the chest.

Ariana watched in horror, the scream finally escaping her lips as Berserker removed its claws from Garrett, allowing him to sink slowly to the ground.

And then he was motionless.

Ariana stayed in the car for as long as she could, her entire body shaking uncontrollably as she listened to the sound of one of her best friends slowly bleeding out only a few feet away from her. She ducked her head down, making herself as tiny as possible in order to stay hidden when she heard the third car arrive. Peering through the passenger window, Arian watched as another man climbed out of the car and raced over to Scott, hoisting him up and carrying him away from the scene without a second of hesitation. They didn't even bother to check on Garrett, to try and save him too. They must have assumed he was dead. But he couldn't be. He wasn't allowed to be.

As soon as the third car drove off, Ariana threw herself out of Garrett's car and sprinted towards him, her boots practically slipping on the wet road as she ran. "GARRETT!" Her voice pierced through the thick silence as she skidded to a halt, dropping to her knees as she looked down at Garrett, his eyes already glassy as they stared out into the woods. There was too much blood surrounding him, too much red blood spilling onto the cold black tar in a horrific dark contrast.

The hole in his chest was too wide. It was too much. It was too wrong. It was too soon.

"No, no, no, no, don't do this- don't leave-" Ariana broke off with a sob, unable to finish her sentence. But Garrett was already slipping away, his eyes drifting shut as if he was unaware of her presence, like he couldn't even hear her. He almost looked like he could be sleeping, if it wasn't for the choked breaths still escaping his lips.

"No, no, no! You can't leave me-" Ariana grabbed Garrett's hand, squeezing it tightly, letting out a sob as his hand remained limp in hers. "Come on, stay with me. I can call someone. I can-"

But she was too late. He was gone.

Ariana felt her heart clenching in her chest, her entire body preparing itself for a breakdown. Garrett didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve this kind of ending, red blood spilling onto the black slick road, with no one else around to see him go but her. He was an assassin but he was good to her. He had made it his mission to look after herself and Violet. He was the closest thing she had to a brother, to a family.

Ariana gave herself one small moment to pause, a moment of silence to acknowledge the absence of another heartbeat, before she felt her body take over from her brain, the cold realisation rolling over her like a tidal wave.

A long anguished scream fell out of her mouth before she could even think about it, all the grief and anger of the last few minutes pushing itself out of her body. She screamed, her voice loud and harsh and angry. She screamed until she felt herself collapsing against Garrett as the wretched sobs overtook her, clutching him as if she could squeeze him back to life through sheer will. But he was gone. His body was limp against hers, its warmth faded, replaced with a cold unfriendly reminder that death had arrived and taken him away.

After what felt like hours of sobbing, her hands clutching at Garrett's lifeless body like he had become her lifeline, Ariana finally slumped back against the cold ground, her mind clearing and replacing the anguish with fierce determination. "Violet…I need to get Violet," Ariana muttered to herself, glancing up and around, her brain quickly taking in her surroundings again, the logical part of her brain clicking into gear.

Taking a deep breath, Ariana stood up, pausing to pick up Garrett's dagger from where it had fallen beside him. She quickly slid it back into the lacrosse stick and hugged the stick to her chest as she looked down at Garrett one more time before turning on her heels and walking away from his body before she was pushed into another breakdown. "Okay, I just have to find Violet…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it! Unfortunately it was time to say goodbye to Garrett but I've really loved writing him and fleshing him out a little from the few scenes Teen Wolf gave me to work with! Anyway stay tuned for the next chapter as Ariana fights to save Violet... Also if you have time please leave a review, no matter how long or short, and let me know your thoughts on this chapter!


	11. Tremors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey lovely readers, yes this is a note at the beginning for once! I'm just going to throw up a little Content Warning for this chapter as it does deal with some more violence and contains darker themes than previous chapters, so just be prepared! I'm very anxious to know what you all think about this chapter so please leave a review and let me know all your thoughts!
> 
> Anyway this is essentially the Mid-Fic Finale! I hope you all enjoy :)

 

Ariana barely remembered the next few minutes as she walked away from Garrett, her mind shifting into a trance-like state as she walked. She'd never had the chance to learn how to drive so she had to leave Garrett's car where it was, instead choosing to walk along the side of the road. She didn't really know where she was going and she had no leads on where to find Violet but she figured walking back the way they had come was the best option for now. In the meantime she just had to hope that Violet would find a way to let her now where she was.

Glancing down at Garrett's phone in hopes that there was a text from Violet, Ariana frowned slightly at the long list of notifications. Scrolling through the messages she found several texts all from Mason, each text growing more panicked than the one before it.

FROM: MASON

_Garrett where are you? Are you with Ari?_

FROM: MASON

_Dude Vi just got arrested. Call me!_

FROM: MASON

_Seriously where are you? The police are looking for you. What's going on?_

Ariana had almost forgotten that she was technically on the run for a moment. The events of the lacrosse game seemed like a distant memory instead of just one night ago. Locking the screen again, Ariana tucked the phone back into her pocket and pulled her own phone out only to see similar messages on the screen as well, each one leaving a heavier weight on her heart.

FROM: MASON

_Hey Ari what's taking you and Vi so long? Hurry up! I look like a loner :(_

FROM: MASON

_Ari where are you?_

FROM: MASON

_OMG Vi just got arrested! Where are you?_

FROM: MASON

_Ari I don't know whats going on. Text me back!_

FROM: MASON

_Just tell me you're okay. Please._

Ariana sucked in a breath as she hovered over the call button, sorely tempted to call Mason. Now more than ever she just wanted to hear his voice, to have him assure her things would be okay. Now that Garrett was gone, Ariana needed a supportive friend more than ever. But instead she locked the phone and clutched it tighter to her chest as she walked. Mason would only ask questions she wasn't able to answer and didn't have the strength to hear. Maybe she'd text Mason once she was a few towns away, at least to let him know she was okay. First she just had to find Violet. She could deal with the fallout later.

Ariana had been walking for almost twenty minutes when her phone buzzed again in her dress pocket, vibrating against her leg. She tugged it out, already preparing herself for another desperate message from Mason, but instead it was from Violet. Ariana halted on the spot as she swiped the phone open, eyes frantically scanning over the message.

FROM: VIOLET

_At the Argent's old warehouse. Come ASAP!_

Ariana stared at the text message. Argent. Why was Violet hiding at the Argent warehouse? What was she doing there? Then it hit her. The name Argent. As in Kate Argent, currently worth 12 million dollars. The image of the Benefactor's list flashed in Ariana's mind. Although she was still curious to know how Violet had escaped the police van, Ariana was also unsurprised. Of course Violet was still doing whatever she could to cross another name off the list. She probably wanted to go out with a bang before they left Beacon Hills and why not go out with twelve million dollars.

The map on Ariana's phone suggested that the warehouse was actually fairly close to where she'd ended up, only another fifteen minutes walk if she took a few shortcuts and walked briskly. The prospect of finding Violet wiped out any other questions that could have crossed the usually cautious girl's mind. Instead Ariana glanced over the map one more time before hurrying towards the warehouse. She'd already lost one friend. She wasn't going to let anyone take Violet from her too. "I'm coming, Vi," she muttered half to herself as she picked up the pace a little quicker, her eyes steely and focused on the empty road ahead.

 

Ariana entered the warehouse uneasily, her eyes flickering around the poorly lit room covered in sheets of tarp, one hand clutching Garrett's lacrosse stick like a weapon, just in case. It was almost like something out of the horror movies Garrett always tried to make Ariana watch but those memories were too painful to dwell on right now. Instead, Ariana powered on, stepping carefully around the tarp, scanning around for any sign of Violet.

The sound of tarp being pushed aside a few feet away caught her ear and Ariana froze, waiting for the owner of the movement to step closer. "Vi?" she hissed, frowning slightly into the dark.

"Oh good, you got my text!" A voice called out in reply, and although it was female, it definitely wasn't Violet.

Ariana stared up in horror at the woman standing a few feet away from her, wearing a smug grin. Except she wasn't quite a woman. Not completely. Her skin had an odd purple tone, looking even more eerie in the fluorescent lighting and there were dark marks across her face, almost like some kind of animal prints.

"What are you talking about?" Ariana asked, frozen on the spot as she stared at the creature in front of her.

"Well you're Ariana aren't you? And you're smart enough to know who I am."

"You're Kate," Ariana breathed out, stepping back instinctively. Kate Argent. Definitely not human.

"Good girl," Kate said, a condescending smirk slipping up her face to match her tone. "I ran into your little friend Violet earlier. She told me all about you and your special set of skills. My friends and I are very impressed," the lady said, smirking as two Berserker creatures slowly appeared on either side of her.

"What did you do to Violet?" Ariana demanded, focusing on Kate to stop herself from freaking out at the sight of the creatures that had just slaughtered Garrett earlier.

Kate glanced at the Berserkers beside her with a shrug. "Look, it's nothing personal. Scott McCall wants Violet and I want Scott McCall. Simple math."

"Your math needs some work," Ariana shot back darkly.

"Trust me, I know Scott."

Ariana narrowed her eyes, slightly curious about the clear weight behind Kate's words but too agitated to ask any questions. "Where is Violet? And why send me that message?"

"You know, I've heard all about 'The Orphans'…" Kate said mockingly as she looked at Ariana. "You three made yourselves quite infamous. Word got around about you and your work. And how the three of you got assigned a new job. You got sent a cassette tape and a hit list, correct?"

Ariana clenched her jaw, nodding sharply as she readjusted her grip on Garrett's lacrosse stick, holding it in front of her body defensively. The dagger was still hidden inside it, ready to be used against Kate if necessary.

"Well poor Violet couldn't answer me, and your other friend Garrett didn't want to stick around long enough to tell me, so I now have to ask you," Kate paused as she took a slow menacing step towards Ariana, clearly for dramatic effect, "Who is the Benefactor?"

"Seriously?" Ariana glared at Kate. "I have no idea. We just get the emails and we get the job done. We don't ask questions." Naturally they'd had a few speculative conversations about who it could be, but Ariana had never really cared to look into it. She never cared to know too much about whoever assigned her the jobs. The only thing that mattered was the target, or list of targets in this case. Clearly The Benefactor had something against the supernatural creatures in Beacon Hills but then again so did Ariana so she didn't feel the need to ask any further questions.

After a brief moment, Kate sighed, rolling her eyes in irritation. "Funny, Violet said the same thing. And speaking of Violet, she is just _dying_ to see you," She said as she stepped sideways with a cruel smirk. Ariana frowned, her heart rate slowly increasing as she peered behind Kate into the distant darkness. And then she saw it. Her. Violet.

Ariana froze as she caught sight of the motionless body lying across the room from her. It was as if time came to a jarring halt, as if the berserkers looming around her were suddenly invisible. As if Kate and her awful smirk had vanished on the spot. All she could see was Violet.

Violet was lying motionless, half slumped against a chair near the back wall, dark hair fanned out across her face like a blanket attempting to distract from the horrific show of blood pooled around her. Ariana stared, frozen. And then suddenly time raced forward as she let out a piercing shriek. "VIOLET!"

Ariana sprinted towards Violet, a cruel sense of de ja vu sinking in as she skidded across the floor. "No, no, no, no, no," she rambled, shaking her head frantically as she reached Violet, dropping the lacrosse stick beside her as she skidded to a halt.

She couldn't lose them both. She wouldn't lose them both. Not now.

Violet stirred, a hand twitching in an attempt to reach out to the small brunette. The scene looked much worse up close and Ariana struggled to keep her composure. Her eyes darted over the deep slashes spread across Violet's chest, the dark thick blood oozing out slowly and staining the floor around her.

"Garrett?" Violet choked out, her eyes pinned on Ariana.

Ariana stared back at her, suddenly unable to say a word, as if her entire vocabulary had been pushed out of her mind at the sight of Violet's injuries. Finally she managed to shake her head. "Gone," was all she could say, a poor attempt at an explanation she didn't have the energy to give.

Violet seemed unsurprised, tilting her head in a small nod as her own eyes glistened with tears. "Did- do you have-" Violet broke off with a cough, blood already spilling from her lips, but she forced herself to continue. "The dagger? Do you have it?"

Of course, of course she would want to hold on to something of Garrett's now, a way of letting herself say a belated goodbye to her boyfriend. Ariana always mocked the two of them for being so mushy and gross but they loved each other, and Ariana couldn't help the ache in her heart for the two of them now.

Ariana nodded hurriedly, her hands shaking as she pulled the lacrosse stick apart and pulled the dagger out carefully. Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, she carefully placed the dagger in Violet's outstretched hand, biting back tears. The dagger was still stained with Garrett's blood, but Violet barely paid attention, pushing it back into Ariana's hands.

"Ariana," she said, staring up with a heavy look in her eyes, "I-I don't want to die like this. Too slow. It- it-hurts- Just make it stop."

Ariana froze, her entire body washing over with cold realisation as she stared at her best friend. "No. No way."

"Please. You ha-have to." Violet insisted, her eyes already bloodshot as she pleaded with the small girl. She let out a groan of pain, her face contorting into a pained expression as she pressed a hand to the gaping wound on her chest. "If you don't then th-they'll make it worse," she breathed out, eyes slowly drifting towards the berserkers hovering menacingly a few feet away. "I just…I want it to be over."

Violet seemed so young now, suddenly looking like like the fifteen year old she was instead of the mature front she constantly tried to put on. There was an air of innocence in her glassy eyes, a bleak reminder of the first time Ariana had met Violet, two eight year old orphans suspicious of everyone in the world but each other. They had gone through so much together, fought the world side by side. This wasn't how they ended.

"No, I can't do this, Please don't make me-" Ariana let out a sob, shaking her head furiously, "I can't." Watching her best friend die was one thing but aiding in her death was something Ariana couldn't even comprehend.

"It's okay. Please," Violet insisted again, her eyes softer now. "Do it. Make it quick. And get out of here. Like we planned."

Ariana took a shuddering breath, pushing down another sob as she looked down at Violet, so young, so determined to look out for her, even now. Even as she lay here dying she still wanted to protect Ariana. And if this was what Violet wanted, Ariana couldn't deny her this last wish, as awful as it was. It made sense though. Violet always was the impatient one. Of course she didn't want to lie around waiting for death to come when she knew it was so near.

"Okay. I'll do it," Ariana finally whispered with a nod as she accepted the awful task. She wasn't even sure if Violet could hear her now, her body clenched in pain as she struggled to breathe. "I'm so so sorry Violet." With a deep breath, Ariana took in ever ounce of steel and determination that her two closest friends had ever taught her. She gathered up every inch of courage within herself and nodded, locking eyes with Violet for one last time.

Then, with one swift movement, she plunged the dagger deep into Violet's chest, as close to her heart as she could, delivering the coup de grâce with a choked sob. Violet let out a gasp, her eyes locked on Ariana's, and Ariana saw a hint of a smile ghost itself upon her red lips before her jaw slacked, eyes drooping closed. Her final exhale pushed a small puff of air against Ariana's cheek, a final whispered goodbye.

And then she was gone.

Ariana slumped back onto her knees, the shock washing over her bones. She had done it. Violet had already been dying but Ariana was the one holding the blood-stained dagger.

So much for always having clean hands.

Ariana had always been an orphan for as long as she could remember, but with the orphans she'd had a family. Now that was taken away from her too. Now she was alone. The loss of the only family she'd ever had was too much for her. The force of her grief knocked her backwards until she was slumped on the floor, motionless, wanting so badly to scream but unable to find any energy to push out a sound. It was like the grief had taken everything out of her.

She was numb.

She was empty.

Ariana was vaguely aware of the berserkers lurking only a few feet away. She could hear them, but it was like white noise now. Any sense of panic she should have been feeling had disappeared, replaced with the dull sense of indifference.

Let the berserkers take her. Let them finish the job. They'd already taken two orphans tonight, what was one more to them? But the berserkers didn't seem interested in the small girl anymore. Even Kate Argent seemed to have forgotten the young girl. Instead she and her berserkers were all heading towards the entrance. The sound of deep voices approaching in the distance, calling out to Kate, vaguely caught her attention, most importantly she could recognise one voice. Scott. Scott McCall.

Ariana clutched the dagger in her hand as she pulled herself up, an overwhelming sense of fury sweeping over her. This was his fault. This was all Scott's fault. It was Scott who had brought these hellish creatures into her town. It was Scott who had bitten her boyfriend and made him into a monster, and it was his fault Ariana had lost the two most important people to her. Part of her was raging, ready to kill the boy who claimed to be so good, yet caused so much chaos. But another part of Ariana knew that killing him wasn't enough anymore. Killing him wouldn't satisfy her. She needed Scott to suffer. So she would show him what he had taken from her.

"Let's show him what he did," she muttered, turning to Violet's body. Biting back a scream of grief, she used every bit of energy she had left to pull Violet up onto the chair she had been leaning against, hoisting her up into a sitting position. There, now Scott McCall could face the damage, face the death he had caused.

Ariana brushed a hand over Violet's cheek, tracing her features softly. "He'll pay for this. I'll make them all pay." She whispered, her entire body trembling with an underlying rage ready to tip at any moment. Pressing a kiss to the cold forehead of her best friend, Ariana took a moment to collect herself, the numbness letting itself sink into her body.

And with her last little goodbye she turned and strode off, weaving her way around the warehouse until she was back outside. Ariana walked, alone, dagger clenched in one hand, until the warehouse had disappeared behind her.

She didn't dare look back, her eyes cold and hard as she left the last remainder of her little orphan family behind.

 

The house felt emptier than ever as Ariana swung the front door open. She knew it would be empty, but in the midst of the chaos she had forgotten how she and Garrett had spent last night packing up in preparation to leave. Their three duffel bags sat in a pile beside the front door, a cruel reminder of how close the three orphans had come to that fresh start together.

Ariana walked past them and headed straight to the bathroom, dropping the dagger onto the counter carelessly. Her mind was completely numb as she slowly cleaned herself up. She refused to let any tears fall as she scrubbed the blood off her trembling hands, unsure of exactly whose blood she was washing down the sink. She knew she should probably be crying, or falling apart somehow but her brain seemed to have moved into a complete state of shock, unable to properly process any kind of she could focus on was the tremors slowly sifting through her body. She wasn't sure how long she'd been trembling for but it was distracting her from completely shutting down.

Forcing her gaze away from the blood washing down the drain, Ariana looked up in the mirror, catching a glimpse of herself. The bruising under her eye from Liam's fit of rage still hovered, angry and yellow, as did the cut across her cheek which was in the early process of scaring. Moving her gaze from her injuries, Ariana was vaguely surprised at the blank expression on her face. The dull sunken eyes in front of her gave away the ordeal she had just gone through. If there was any doubt of what she had just done, the horrific act of sacrifice she'd committed, one look in the mirror took that doubt away.

She wasn't sure how long she stood in front of the mirror staring at herself but not really seeing anything she recognised, before there was a loud sharp knock at the door. Ariana closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath as she waited for the knocking to go away, but whoever it was didn't back down. They just knocked harder.

"Ari? Ariana? I know you're in there! You know I can hear your heartbeat." It was Liam. So he'd survived Garrett's poisoned blade. That was good to know, Ariana dully noted as she turned the tap off and moved out of the bathroom.

"Ari, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," Liam called out through the door. "Please just let me in!"

Ariana stared at the door, silently weighing up whether she could handle facing Liam again. Even just hearing his voice was giving her brief flashes of being thrown against the lockers, but then again she was so empty inside that she doubted he could inflict any more pain on her now. Finally she let out a heavy sigh and clicked the door open, stepping back quickly as it swung open to reveal Liam. He looked like he'd been through hell and back, his eyes wide and wild as he looked at her.

Ariana stared back sullenly, letting him take in the result of his actions across her face. Liam took half a step backwards as his eyes flickered over the cuts and bruises he'd left, and the blood stains currently staining her dress, his face slowly contorting itself into a look of crushing guilt.

"Look, okay I know about the poison but-"

"I didn't know he was going to do that," Ariana cut Liam off, her voice dull and empty as she stared at the floor, unable to lift her gaze to him suddenly. She was vaguely aware of the slight tremors in her hands as she spoke and clenched her fists in an attempt to steady herself.

Liam studied her face for a moment before nodding finally. "It's okay. I wouldn't blame you if you did. I hurt you. I'm sorry. I got out of control. I have…I have- well I have some anger issues. And the werewolf stuff kind of just makes it worse." Liam shrugged, glancing down at the floor in embarrassment. It clearly wasn't an easy thing to admit but Ariana's mind was too numb to really care anymore.

"I talked to Scott. He found me and he told me what happened. I know about Garrett. I'm sorry." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but closed his mouth after a moment, ducking his eyes back down. Violet. He had no idea that she was already well aware of Violet's ending. Ariana stood opposite him, unmoving as she watched him through dull eyes. Finally Liam pulled his sorrowful gaze back up to her. "And I'm sorry, but he found Violet too. She...Well she was was already dead when he got to her. I'm so sorry."

"I don't need your pity, Liam," Ariana felt something inside her snap as Violet's name fell from Liam's lips. She briefly wondered how Scott had felt when he found Violet's body, if he felt responsible or guilty. She hoped so. Throwing Liam a look full of as much hostility as her numb mind could muster up, she continued, "You made it very clear what you think of me. You think I'm a murderer. And maybe that's exactly what I am." Her mind briefly flashing to the dagger in her hand, and the determined look in Violet's eyes, before quickly shaking the thought away.

"No, I didn't mean that before…I just…I didn't think it would be you." Liam admitted, shrugging one shoulder. "I didn't want to drag you into this mess. "

"I was in this mess long before you got involved," Ariana said shortly. He had no idea he was talking to an assassin with a year long list of targets. He had no idea what she had gone through, or what she was going through now.

Liam bit his lip anxiously, one hand fidgeting against the door frame as he studied her. "Right. Look, I don't know how much of this was real to you, but I liked you Ari. I still do."

Ariana closed her eyes for a brief moment, turning slightly away from Liam as she took in a shaky breath. Of course it had been real to her. She hadn't wanted to admit it and she'd been determined to convince herself it was just for the list, but deep down she was well aware that she'd been lying to herself. Not that it mattered anymore. None of it mattered.

Liam wasn't finished though. Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he pushed on, determination in his eyes now. "I wanted to make sure you're okay after everything. Ari, the police are looking for you but I can help you. We can still fix this."

"You mean you and your alpha?" Ariana scoffed, the tremors that had been travelling through her body increasing slightly. She clenched her fists a little tighter, shifting further away from the beta.

"Scott's a good guy, Ari."

"Not to me," Ariana said, shaking her head fiercely. "You don't see it. He's not good."

Liam dropped his head for a moment with a sigh, before lifting his eyes back up to plead with her. "Ari, I get it. I know I lied to you. I hurt you. But trust me, Scott can help you. I want to help you." Stepping across the threshold into the apartment, he moved towards her, "Just let me help-"

"No, just stay away from me. I don't need your help," Ariana said angrily, stepping backwards to try and create more distance between them. The last thing she wanted to do was team up with Scott, when he was the reason behind all of this. Liam was insistent though, and he edged closer, his big blue eyes wide in desperation.

Ariana took another shaky breath, her entire body trembling of its own accord even more than before. It was like the shock was slowly taking over her body until she had barely any control of her own movements, the tremors travelling through her like currents, electrifying every nerve.

"Ari, just listen-"

"No, just go- get OUT!" Ariana cried out as Liam took another careful step inside, getting steadily closer to her. On instinct, she threw her trembling hands in front of her defensively. Before Ariana could register what was happening, was a gust of wind followed by a loud crash as Liam suddenly flew back several feet, his body slamming against up the wall before sliding down with a heavy thud.

Ariana froze, staring at her hands which were still held up in front of her, now completely still. In fact her entire body was suddenly calm. The tremors that had rocked through her body only moments ago had completely vanished.

"What the hell…?" Liam stared at Ariana from his now crumbled position on the ground, his eyes full of confusion.

"I-I…I didn't…" Ariana trailed off, still staring at her hands as she tried to process it. She hadn't done that. She hadn't pushed Liam. Of course not, she was too far away from him to push him. It was the wind, blowing in from outside. It felt like the wind had come from her hands, but that was ridiculous. Ariana's eyes flickered frantically around the room, searching for an open window or door to explain the wind, but there was nothing around.

Nothing but herself.

Liam slowly pulled himself back to a standing position, dusting himself off as he watched Ariana. "Ari...did you do that?" he asked carefully.

"I don't know," she replied quietly, lifting her wide-eyed gaze to his. They stared at each other, both speechless.

A sudden 'DING' interrupted the tense silence, and Liam jumped slightly. Ariana nervously pulled her gaze to the kitchen table where Garrett's phone was sitting. As she reached over to unlock the phone, she noticed an email notification. It was another email from The Benefactor with the code and a link as usual.

"What? What is it?" Liam asked from across the room, clearly too uneasy to step any closer to her.

"The Benefactor. It's another part of the hit list," Ariana replied tersely. She didn't want to have to deal with this right now. The list was another painful reminder of what she had just lost tonight. Still, anything was better than confronting the weird incident that had just occurred.

Ariana slowly pulled Garrett's laptop out of the duffel bag by the front door, completely ignoring Liam now. He watched wordlessly, clearly not happy about the reminder of Ariana's extracurricular activities, but too nervous to speak up. Ariana carried the laptop to the couch and got herself set up, opening up the link. It felt more than weird to be doing this without Violet and Garrett beside her, like suddenly she was missing the key element to this process, the two reasons she had gotten involved in this mess in the first place. But that was another thought to push aside for later. Instead, Ariana focused on typing in the code one keystroke at a time.

DEREK.

The list began to load as usual, one name at a time, each one slowly forming in front of her eyes.

_Satomi Ito - 10m_

_Malia Hale - 4m_

_Meredith Walker - 1m_

_Liz Moore - 1m_

_Patrick Clark - 1m_

_Siobhan Brady - 100k_

_Kaitlyn Schaar - 250k_

_Genevieve Carey - 250k_

_Angelique Fain - 250k_

_Lorelee Rohr - 250k_

Ariana scanned the list, ignoring Liam as he moved over to read it from over her shoulder. Ariana barely even read the names properly, her eyes flickering over them dully. None of it mattered now anyway. But there was one more name at the bottom of the list. A name that definitely did not belong there.

Ariana sucked in a breath as she stared at it in horror.

_Ariana Petrakis - 150k_


	12. Empty

_Ariana Petrakis - 150k_

Ariana stared silently, her eyes still not quite comprehending what she was looking at. It had been five minutes now and her name was still glaring back at her from the bottom of the supernatural hit list like some sick joke.

"Ari…Ari? Hey, talk to me," Liam said finally from behind her. He'd been hovering behind her, hands gripping the back of the couch tightly once he realised what he was looking at. His voice jolted Ariana out of her silence and she sucked in another breath, shaking her head quickly.

"I'm fine, it's fine. It's nothing. Just a joke. It's fine." Her voice was a little too loud, a little too brazen, but she kept shaking her head as she pushed the laptop away and slammed it shut. "It's just a joke. It's not real."

"What's not real?" Liam asked, his brow furrowing as he watched Ariana dusting herself off as she stood up. He leaned against the back of the couch, arms folded tightly as he continued to frown at her, clearly a little unsettled. Ariana was already moving to check her phone again though, scrolling through it impatiently as she searched for a text from Garrett, or maybe a missed call from Violet to confirm the prank.

"This whole thing. Tonight. It's just some dumb joke. Garrett is such an idiot. He's just pulling some dumb prank. That's all," Ariana said, rolling her eyes up at Liam, pointedly ignoring the low trembling that was already beginning to flow through her body again.

"Ari, I don't think it's a joke. I think something else is going on…"

"No, it's just a joke. It's fine." Ariana flashed a smile that was slightly too wide to be genuine. "Garrett's going to walk in any minute. It was probably all Violet's idea. She's insane. Always messing with me…"

Ariana knew she probably sounded a little crazy. She had watched the berserker stop Garrett's heart. She had been there to see the light leave Violet's eyes. She had seen the wind mysteriously push Liam against the wall of her own home. She'd been there for all of it but suddenly none of it made any sense. It was too much to process and therefore surely none of it was real. It was just a big elaborate prank on her. Any minute everything would return to normal.

"Ari-"

"No. It's a joke, Liam. It's just a prank. It's. Not Real," Ariana repeated again, but now the ground was trembling right below them, a low rumble already forming beneath Ariana's feet as she tried to steady herself against it.

"Ari, this is real. I-I think you're doing this. Maybe just try and stay calm-"

"No, it can't be real. Liam, it's not real!" Ariana could feel her voice growing louder and more panicked as the entire room began to quiver, a small earthquake forming inside the apartment.

This time Liam didn't back away from her. Instead, he took several bold steps closer until his hands were reaching out to grip her by the shoulders. "Ari, this is real. Just breathe and we'll fix it. Just breathe."

But Ariana was already swaying slightly as the earthquake travelled through the room. As she looked down, the oddest thing occurred to her. The earthquake wasn't really coming from the ground below. It was flowing straight from her body, as if she was the centre of the movement. She could almost feel the pulses pushing through her feet into the ground, sending waves of tremors so strong that the couch was beginning to skid across the floorboards.

"Liam? What-what's happening to me?" she managed to gasp out, giving him a wide panicked look. He matched her expression with one just as panicked, gripping her a little tighter. Before he could even open his mouth to respond, Ariana felt the world spin as she faded out of consciousness, passing out right into Liam's arms.

 

_"Ariana? Oh my god, Ari, what took you so long?"_

_Ariana blinked twice, hardly believing what she was staring at. Right in front of her stood Violet, her usual cheeky smirk sitting comfortably on her lips as she watched Ariana. Completely alive._

_"Vi? What's going on? I thought you were…" But whatever Ariana was about to say slipped out of her mind before she could finish. Something wasn't right though, but she couldn't remember what. She felt vaguely unsettled, like she wasn't meant to be here._

_Where was she? Where were they? It looked like the woods on the outskirts of Beacon Hills but Ariana didn't remember being in the woods. Or how she'd even arrived here. She didn't remember walking here, but here she was._

_There were a lot of tall trees blocking out the sky, although Ariana could just make out a large flock of birds circling above them. They looked like crows, but they were too high up too see clearly._

_"Well, are you coming?" Violet asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a sly step backwards, moving deeper into the dark woods._

_Ariana felt herself being tugged towards Violet, like someone was pulling on a string connecting them together, forcing Ariana to walk behind her. "Where are we going? What are we doing here? Vi, are you okay?"_

_Violet swivelled to face her, her appearance suddenly changing with a snap. Now she looked like a corpse, her eyes hollowed and sunken in, and there were gruesome blood stains ruining her top, deep slashes revealing themselves across her chest. "No," was all she said._

_Then, just as suddenly her appearance snapped back and she was regular Violet again, as if nothing had changed._

_Ariana stared back, frozen in horror for a moment. Why did that horrific version of Violet look familiar? It was like it was trying to remind Ariana of something, of some terrible event, but Ariana quickly pushed it aside. Violet was already moving forward again, deeper into the woods and Ariana had to hurry to catch up. "Vi? Are you even really Violet?" she asked, suddenly uncertain that she even wanted to know the answer._

_Violet glanced back at her again, and for the second time her appearance changed to reveal the corpse, dark hair suddenly matted against her face. "Nearly there." And she was back to normal Violet again._

_It was all so surreal, but Ariana was again compelled to keep following Violet deeper into the woods. The birds were circling lower now, as if they were slowly flying closer to Ariana, being tugged towards her just as she was being tugged towards Violet. Ariana wasn't sure how long she followed Violet until they finally came to a halt near a large tree stump._

_Violet was staring at Ariana now, her appearance flickering between the two versions of herself like a television stuck switching between two different channels. It was unsettling, and Ariana hovered several feet back uneasily with the feeling that something bad was about to happen._

_"No. It's already happening," Violet said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts. And based on the current uneasy feeling in Ariana's bones she had a feeling that Violet, or whatever was appearing as Violet in front of her, probably was reading her mind somehow._

_"What's happening? What do you want?" Ariana finally let a stream of questions fall from her lips, wringing her hands anxiously. The birds were circling even closer now._

_"It's coming,"_

_Ariana frowned, already sure she didn't really want to know what 'it' was. It was clearly something ominous and bad, but she also knew she had to ask. She had to know. "What? What's coming?"_

_Violet tilted her head slightly, her gaze wide as she stared at Ariana as if she should already know the answer. "You."_

 

"Ari? Ariana? Ariana, come on! Wake up!"

Ariana's eyes snapped open and she scrambled to pull herself upright into a standing position, barely aware of her surroundings, her mind feeling completely disoriented as she was pulled back to consciousness.

"Woah, woah, Ari, it's okay!"

It took a moment for Ariana to get her bearings but her brain finally slowed down enough to take in Liam crouching down just near where Ariana had been lying just moments ago. Now he was staring up at her with his hands up in cautious defence, like she was some broken bird with the potential to either fall apart or attack him.

"It was just a dream…" Ariana whispered to herself, her brow slightly furrowed as she stared around the room, taking in the duffel bags still abandoned at the front door, and the dent in the wall from Liam's body. She was in the apartment. There was no forest. No Violet. No circling birds. It had just been a dream. Just a dream, although it had felt more like a warning. But the important thing was that it hadn't been real.

_This_ was real. The berserkers. Kate Argent. Garrett's blood staining the street. The dagger plunging into Violet's chest.

Suddenly the actual events of the last few hours flooded back into Ariana's mind, the realisation causing her to stumble back slightly. "But that means-it means that Garrett…And Violet…That means they're really…" Ariana trailed off, her eyes already prickling with tears that hadn't had the chance to fall earlier on.

Liam pulled himself into a standing position, but hovered cautiously a few steps away from her. He almost seemed a little afraid of her, or maybe he was afraid for her. It was hard to tell but she could make out a mixture of concern and fear in his eyes as he studied her silently.

"They're gone." Ariana said finally, sinking back onto the couch. It was almost incomprehensible, the idea that her two best friends in the world were suddenly gone. They were dead. The thought felt bitter even in her mind and she clenched her eyes shut as if she could shut out the whole world. But instead all she could picture was the corpse version of Violet in her dream, giving her that ominous smirk through her sunken eyes.

Snapping her eyes back open with a shiver, Ariana looked up just in time to see Liam slowly sinking down onto the other end of the couch. He was careful to leave a bit of room between them, and his eyes shifted down to stare at the floorboards, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts and calm her heartbeat. This probably would have been a good moment to cry but Ariana felt vaguely numb now, like her brain was still in shock and trying to process everything, but it was stuck at the concept of Violet and Garrett's deaths actually being real.

"Hey so um, where's your foster brother?" Liam asked finally, breaking the silence as he looked around the apartment as if finally noticing the absence of another heartbeat.

Ariana bit her lip, keeping her eyes steady on the coffee table as she collected her breath. "Not here. It was just me, Violet and Garrett here…"

"I thought you said you lived with your foster brother though?" Liam looked confused as he moved to face her properly.

Ariana shrugged, reluctant to start up any argument over her lies but too tired to continue the facade. "Nope. My older foster brother Lucas rented this place under his name but he has his own place. It was always just the three of us."

There was a pause as Liam processed this and Ariana processed the realisation that she was just on her own now. Liam seemed to realise the same thing as he edged closer towards her until their knees were brushing.

The contact startled her slightly, giving her an odd flashback to the last proper moment of contact she'd shared with him, his hands tight and rough around her neck as he slammed her against the wall of the school corridor. Sucking in a breath, Ariana stood up again, edging away from him. "Um, well it's getting late. You should probably go," she said quickly, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"What? No, I'm not leaving you alone now." Liam shook his head definitively, but he didn't move any closer towards her.

"I…I don't think it's safe."

"Safe? Ari, I already told you I'm not going to hurt you again. I know things are weird and I probably ruined whatever we had but I want to help you. Please let me help," Liam pleaded, his blue eyes piercing into hers as if willing her to trust his words. And she did. She knew he wouldn't try and hurt her again.

But that wasn't what she had meant. Of course being near him still made her a little anxious, but it was more than that. When he had unintentionally attacked her, it had crushed her more than she showed. She couldn't begin to imagine what would happen if she hurt him the same way, or worse.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ariana shook her head, taking another step away from Liam and leaning against the couch as she collected her thoughts. "No, I mean it's not safe for you. I-I don't know what is happening but you're not safe when you're around me. You need to leave."

"I can take it," Liam said calmly, folding his arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow at her as if daring her to disagree. Well of course she remembered his werewolf strength but it was only moments ago that she had thrown him across the room with the mysterious wind and it had definitely taken the breath out of him. Ariana had no idea how strong her sudden abilities were but she didn't want to risk it. She couldn't risk it. She couldn't risk the chance of killing him. She'd already taken one life tonight.

"Liam, look I appreciate what you're trying to do- I really do. But I think I just need to be alone." Ariana raised her gaze up to him, imploring him as much as she could with her eyes. She could feel her body starting to catch up with the events of the night, preparing itself to collapse with sheer exhaustion and she really didn't have much energy left to argue with him.

Liam seemed to strongly disagree with her decision but he had the decency to respect it, dropping his head in defeat. "Fine, but I'm coming back tomorrow and we're going to figure this out together."

Liam waited until Ariana replied with a small nod before he finally moved away. He looked like he wanted to step closer to her, to take her in his arms, but he thought better of it after a moment of studying her slowly crumbling expression. The last thing he wanted was to have her break down and cause another earthquake, as much as he clearly wanted to be able to comfort her.

"You're not alone, Ari," he said softly as he reached the front door and twisted the handle, throwing her one more glance before he swung the door open. But before he could step out he froze, leaning back slightly with a frown. "Uh…"

"Who are you?"

Ariana pushed herself off the couch at the sound of another familiar voice at the doorway, this one significantly gruffer and disgruntled.

"Lucas?" Ariana stared, her eyes widening in surprise as she moved forward until she could see him hovering at the front door, his face pulled into a suspicious scowl as he looked down at Liam.

She hadn't seen Lucas in a while now since most of their interaction was via email or text but he hadn't changed at all. He was still several feet taller than her, all dark hair and dark eyes, looking just as intimidating as always. His outward appearance always amused Ariana who had known him for as long as she could remember. He looked scary but she knew better than that. He was like a big brother, ready to terrify her with stories of werewolves but just as ready to punch up anyone who tried to knock her down.

Lucas seemed to give up on getting a reply from Liam who was staring up at him, mouth open in confusion and possible fear. Instead, Lucas sidestepped him and stepped into the apartment, moving swiftly until he had his arms wrapped around Ariana in a big bear hug.

"You really freaked me out, you know that, Petrakis? First I get your text and then I see the news? Not cool," he said, as he pulled her close, resting his head down on top of hers.

Ariana was silent for a moment, the feeling of being wrapped in his big arms suddenly overwhelming her. It was like her body could relax properly, and the tears that had been waiting to fall were finally tipping over. Finally after a few moments of sniffling she pulled away, glancing over at Liam who was still standing at the door watching the small reunion with a frown.

"Uh, sorry, um Liam this is my foster brother Lucas. Lucas this is…uh Liam. He's my…" Ariana faltered as she tried to work out how to explain their relationship. Technically it was sort of non-existent although she couldn't deny the skip in her heartbeat as she locked eyes with Liam. But there was too much going on now and too much had already happened. It was definitely a complicated situation and she found herself trailing off awkwardly, her eyes still gazing over at Liam.

Liam had a hint of pain in his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak but he closed it instead, shoving his hands into his pockets awkwardly.

"Hi um nice to meet you, Lucas. I was just-"

"Leaving? Good idea," Lucas swiftly cut Liam off, giving him a curt nod. Ariana frowned slightly, glancing between the two boys in confusion. Lucas didn't even know Liam and he was being a lot sterner than she'd expected. Still, he was probably just looking out for Ariana, putting himself into big brother mode.

"Right, uh I'll talk to you tomorrow Ari." Liam seemed uncertain as he stepped out of the apartment giving Ariana a hesitant wave of goodbye before he closed the door.

Ariana stared at the door for a moment, taking in the absence of Liam and the odd way in which Lucas had effectively kicked him out. But something else was tugging at her, causing her to turn back to Lucas with a frown.

"Wait, you said the news? What are they saying now?" She knew the news outlets would going wild over Violet being a suspected serial killer, but she hadn't had a chance to actually see anything yet and she honestly wasn't sure she wanted to read anything that painted Violet as a heartless killer.

Lucas bit his lip, studying Ariana as if he was working out how much to tell her. She stared back at him with a frustrated glare, daring him to hold back, and he seemed to read her loud and clear, letting out a sigh before he began to speak. "Well from what I saw on the TV, they're talking about how Violet is a suspect in that serial murder case, which you probably knew about. But then Violet was being transferred to a federal facility and escaped the van so now she's missing? And they announced that Garrett's body was found on the scene with the van. I'm so sorry."

Ariana nodded as she wiped away the tears that had suddenly escaped her eyes and tricked down her cheeks. Garrett's body. It seemed so final coming from Lucas's mouth and the words hit her hard.

"I'm just glad you're okay and you didn't get caught up in that." Lucas seemed to be clueless about the whole situation, clearly unaware of Ariana's true level of involvement, but she didn't correct him. The less he knew the better.

"Wait - they didn't mention me at all?" Ariana asked, frowning. She'd been sure she would be questioned along with the other two. She was vaguely aware of Lucas referring to Violet as 'missing' which probably just meant no one had found or reported her body yet, but the possibility of not even being questioned seemed odd and she quickly channeled her focus towards that instead of the pain pulling at her insides.

Lucas was shaking his head with a shrug as he strode into the kitchen and sunk his tall body into one of the chairs. "Nope, no mention of you at all actually. That's why I figured I'd swing by on my way to work. Check to see you're alright."

Ariana nodded again, this time a little more firmly. "I'm fine. I mean I'm not fine but I will be." He didn't need to know the extent of the tragedy she'd been put through tonight.

"Are you sure?" Lucas didn't seem to believe her though, and he narrowed his eyes slightly at her as if he was waiting, like he knew she was hiding something.

Ariana furrowed her brows slightly back at him, sinking into the chair beside him. "I'm sure." Her voice wasn't exactly convincing but she hoped the pleading look in her eyes would stop him from pushing it further.

The pager attached to Lucas's pants let out a loud beep, interrupting the quiet moment and he ducked his head down with a groan. "Ugh, sorry kiddo, I really should get to the hospital. I'm one of the only nurses on tonight. Don't want anyone dying because of me!"

His words, clearly meant to be just a casual remark, cut something in Ariana and she winced slightly. He probably had no idea what it really felt like to be the cause of death. No idea what it even felt like to take someone's life from them. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with, although it had never been a problem until she was taking the lift of her best friend.

Ariana pulled herself out of that troubling thought though, tugging an understanding smile onto her lips as she watched Lucas standing up to leave. "That's fine. Thanks for checking up on me." She managed to pull a small smile onto her lips as she glanced up at him.

Lucas returned her smile as he stood up, patting her affectionally on the head. "Any time. And let me know if you hear from Violet at all. She's probably freaking out but honestly running from the police is only going to make it all worse. You gonna be alright here by yourself?"

Ariana nodded twice, not trusting her voice right now if the sudden lump in her throat was anything to go by. Luckily Lucas seemed to accept her nod as a valid answer and he wrapped her in another quick but tight hug before hurrying out the door.

As soon as he left, Ariana hovered in the middle of the room for a moment before deciding that the empty silence was too much right now. Instead, she headed straight for her bed, curling up and closing her eyes tightly as her body sunk into the mattress, the aches from the last few days catching up with her. Maybe if she tried hard enough she'd be able to ignore the pain of reality. The other alternative was another unnerving nightmare, but honestly she would take the nightmares over this empty reality, so she clenched her eyes tightly and breathed in slowly.

 

The rain was pouring down in thick sheets as Alan Deaton made his way from his car to the back door of the Animal Clinic. The weather had been fine up until a few hours ago when the clouds had decided to gather up all at once before releasing the heavy rain. It had been mildly unexpected and something about the sudden change in weather had definitely made Deaton take notice. It felt like something was coming, something that made Deaton feel a little uneasy and tempted to check in with Scott. Then again Scott was dealing with plenty of things right now and it was also likely that whatever tension Deaton felt was simply tied to the ragged pack constantly hanging around at his clinic.

Still, Deaton was on high alert as he moved to the back door, keys already in hand to ensure he escaped the rain as swiftly as possible. It wasn't until his hand was halfway to the door that he heard the scuffle of footsteps skidding in the rain behind him. Deaton closed his eyes briefly, preparing himself as his hand drifted back down to his pocket, fingers closing around the baton he kept on him. As soon as he had a strong grip on it, he whipped around to find himself faced with a hooded figure.

Deaton moved quickly, twisting his baton around expertly against the hooded figure's sharp weapon. They sparred for several moments, both quick on their feet despite the rain, although the hooded figure was clearly more agile than he was.

Finally the sparring came to an end, halting just as abruptly as it had begun and Deaton took a step backwards, studying the figure through the thick sheet of rain between them. He had recognised her as soon as she approached him of course.

"You could have called Satomi-san," he said smoothly, returning his baton to his back pocket with a small bow. "Especially if you bring a surprise guest with you." He didn't have Satomi's wolf senses but he hadn't missed the petite figure hiding in the shadows behind them.

Satomi raised a hand to tilt her hood off her face, revealing her piercing red eyes and a sly smirk on her lips. "Trust me, she surprised me too," she said mysteriously. Stepping aside, Satomi gave a sharp nod of indication towards the small figure. "You are safe," she called behind her, raising her voice slightly over the howl of the wind.

Deaton watched with curious eyes as the figure moved closer towards him until her body finally hit the light of the streetlamp above them, her vivid red hair clinging to her face. Now that she was in the light, he could see her her wild eyes and the tension she carried in her small body. "Is this a member of your pack, Satomi?" he asked, glancing back at Satomi with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we came across her tonight half transformed in the woods. She was lost. Confused. Had no idea what was going on, or even what she is." Satomi shrugged.

As Deaton looked at the girl, his mind briefly flashed to an image of Scott as a new werewolf, young and terrified, but determined to survive. The memory softened the suspicion in Deaton's eyes, and he gave the girl a calming smile as he stepped towards her. "Well hello, I'm Alan Deaton," he said, nodding to her.

"Genevieve. Genevieve Carey," the girl introduced herself, her voice faint as she stared back up at him, arms wrapped tightly around her body. "Are you a werewolf too?"

"No, I'm a veterinarian," Deaton said, a chuckle slipping out of his mouth as he smiled at her. "Well Genevieve, let's get you out of the rain and you can tell me everything."

 

The next morning Ariana woke up after a mostly restless night of attempted sleep, feeling cranky and numb all at once. The house felt cold and empty now, even more than she'd anticipated. Usually by now Garrett would be singing loudly in the shower and Violet would be banging around in the kitchen making the loudest possibly racket while preparing her cereal.

Ariana pattered around the apartment after she got dressed into a black top with her favourite tartan skirt. Suddenly she was incredibly aware of how large the apartment felt when it was only filled with one body. Everywhere Ariana looked she could see reminders of the life she'd shared with Violet and Garrett only days ago. Violet's breakfast bowel was still sitting in the sink, and Garrett had left his jacket hanging on a chair in the kitchen. It was like they'd left Ariana little snippets of their life around the house, forbidding her from forgetting how alone she was now.

She couldn't even sit on the couch without the heavy memory of plotting assassin jobs on it beside her two friends. They were all around her, and the memories were almost deafening to the small girl as she finally sunk onto the floor, lying down on her back to stare blankly at the ceiling.

She wasn't sure how long she lay on the floor, staring at nothing and thinking about everything. But finally the silence was interrupted by a sharp knocking at the front door, causing Ariana to jump slightly.

"Ari? It's me! Um, Liam."

Ariana bit her lip to hold down a smile at the sound of Liam's awkward greeting. It was almost enough to cancel out some of the numbness she was feeling, almost enough to let her forget the ache in her bones. Almost. But it was enough to get her off the floor, which was something.

"You came back," she said simply as she swung the door open, unsure of what else to say. Part of her hadn't expected Liam to want anything to do with her after last night. She had caused an earthquake and accidentally pushed him against the wall with the sudden appearance of her mysterious abilities. She would have completely understood if he had decided to never set foot near the apartment again. And yet here he was, a sweet smile on his lips and his bright eyes looking at her warmly.

Liam furrowed his brow slightly at her reaction, as if her surprise had taken him aback. "Of course I came back. I want to help you. I need to."

"Why?" Ariana frowned back at Liam.

He seemed stunned at her question but he shrugged it off as he explained, "Because I messed up and I hurt you. And because we're both on the deadpool so we're technically on the same side now."

Ariana raised an eyebrow, her eyes distrusting.

"I mean, I want to be on your side," Liam amended, shoving his hands deep into his pockets with an awkward shrug. "Look, yes I was angry when you lied about being an assassin or whatever. That wasn't cool. You and your friends were targeting my friends. But I lied too. And I attacked you when you tried to explain yourself. So I feel like we're sort of even." He shrugged. It seemed fair and he sounded genuine enough for Ariana to let her guard down for now.

"Okay," Ariana said simply, holding the door open a little wider for Liam to enter. He walked in carefully, his eyes gazing around the apartment. It occurred to Ariana that Liam had only really seen the apartment at night and last night he had been too preoccupied with a distraught Ariana to really admire the place properly.

"So…" Liam said as he came to a halt at the kitchen table and leaned his hip against it. "How're you doing today?"

"Fine." Ariana bit her lip as she reconsidered that. She definitely wasn't fine, no where near it. "Well, okay not fine. But I haven't started any earthquake today," she tried to joke, giving a weak smile.

Liam frowned for a moment, probably unsure of whether it was right to laugh at her poor joke. Still he crackled a small smile back at her, hesitating as he opened his mouth before closing it again. He watched her carefully and took a deep breath to steel himself before he tried gain. "Okay, I know this sounds like a terrible idea but we need to see Scott. Especially now that your name is on the Benefactor's list. Other assassins might come for you and we don't even know what you are."

"Scott won't want to help me," Ariana said with a firm shake of her head. "And I definitely don't want his help."

Liam let out a sigh, frustration clear in his eyes as he looked at her. "I get it, okay? He's not exactly my favourite person either. He bit me and now I'm a werewolf. But he's a good guy. He saved my life. He just wants to help people."

Ariana sighed, perching herself on the arm of the couch. Part of her wanted to trust Liam, to believe him, but the other part of her flashed back to the night before when Kate Argent had confirmed that she and the berserkers were basically in town for Scott McCall. He was at the heart of everything that had gone wrong for her. Asking him for help was the last thing she wanted to do. Still, Liam had a point. She was on the deadpool list. Even if it was just some sick prank, or a mistake, it wasn't something she could brush off. Not after the earthquake she'd felt travelling through her bones into the floorboards last night.

"Fine," She said finally, reluctance ringing loud and clear through her tone.

Liam perked up despite her tone, his eyes widening in surprise. He'd clearly anticipated a much longer debate but he was glad she was on board already. "Great! He's at the school now so we should-"

"School? But it's a Saturday." Ariana cut Liam off with a confused look.

"Yeah, he's there for the PSATs," Liam explained easily. "If we go now we can probably catch him before he starts. He might know where do start with working out what's happening to you."

Ariana had to admit, the curiosity of working out what was happening to her was pulling at her a little already. It seemed like a good distraction from mourning the loss of her little family, and she needed a good distraction if she wanted to avoid another breakdown. "Alright. Well let's go."

Liam flashed his bright smile at her as he held a hand out to her. Ariana hesitated but accepted his hand. It was warm and instantly comforting. She could almost feel the aches throughout her body fading away a little, allowing her to take a breath. Maybe trusting Liam wasn't the worst idea after all.

 

"I really don't know about this, Liam." Ariana tugged against Liam's firm grip on her hand as they crossed into the school hallway. The hallway was empty, almost reminding her of the last time she'd walked through the halls only nights ago, but Liam's hand was warm in hers and it kept her grounded to the reality. In truth, it was only quiet because the senior students were currently all crowded into a classroom preparing to begin their PSATs.

Liam just squeezed her hand a little tighter in an attempt to calm her. He could probably hear her heartbeat pounding away in her chest at the very thought of seeing Scott again, but his hand somehow managed to calm her momentarily.

Pausing in the middle of the hallway near the staircase, Liam glanced over at Ariana. "Okay, you just wait here and I'll try and get Scott's attention," he said, his eyes flicking back to the classroom where Ariana could hear the vague rumbling of students chatting and preparing for the test.

"He can't just leave in the middle of the test, Liam," Ariana argued finally tugging her hand out of Liam's grip and immediately missing his warmth. Annoyed at herself, she quickly folded her arms and arranged her face into a look of irritation, ignoring the tension slowly seeping into her body.

Liam seemed undeterred despite Ariana's negative attitude. He really was like a puppy with his eagerness to help and his determination to remain positive. "Scott can just take a bathroom break. This is important!"

Ariana was touched for a moment. Liam was clearly determined to help her, despite the fact that he was unnerved by her sudden abilities. He didn't seem scared of her at all. Just scared for her. It felt nice to have someone looking out for her, reminding her that maybe she wasn't completely alone.

Giving Liam a small nod finally, Ariana eased herself onto one of the steps of the staircase, hugging her knees as Liam flashed her a quick kind smile and quietly walked towards the door of the classroom.

Ariana watched as Liam peeked around the corner of the open classroom door. The test clearly hadn't officially begun if the door was still wide so that was a promising start, but Ariana could already feel her stomach knotting itself up at the thought of facing Scott so soon after everything that had happened. But at the same time she had to be logical. Scott was possibly the only one who could help Ariana figure out what was happening to her. Plus Liam trusted him and she didn't really have any other options right now. She needed to get some answers.

She watched with baited breath as Liam indicated a few times before finally muttering under his breath. It threw Ariana off for a moment until it hit her. Of course, Scott had werewolf hearing so the two were clearly communicating right now.

"Trust me. You need to come out now. It's an emergency." Ariana could just hear Liam's hushed words from where she was anxiously hovering a few feet away, but it looked like Scott was reluctant to leave the room. Ariana wondered if he could hear her heartbeat or sense her presence from where he was.

Liam turned back to face Ariana with a disappointed expression, his shoulders sagging slightly. Ariana opened her mouth to assure him it was okay, that they could wait, but she was caught off guard by the sound of high heels quickly approaching. Liam furrowed his brow as he turned his head before looking back at her with his wide eyes. Not needing to be told, Ariana leaped up from the stairs, moving swiftly to to duck around the corner, Liam sprinting up half a step behind her. They had just ducked around, both leaning flat against the wall to stay out of sight, when a voice suddenly burst out.

"Do NOT come in here! Get back outside!" Mrs Martin, Ariana's Biology teacher, was sprinting down the corridor, an impressive feat in her high heels. Her arms were flailing wildly towards a group of boys who had just walked in from the other end of the hallway with their lacrosse gear. Mrs Martin's voice was high and panicked as she ran towards them and frantically gestured for them to leave. She completely missed Liam and Ariana hiding around the corner, which was good because honestly Ariana was a little freaked out by her behaviour, leaning back a little into Liam to ensure she was out of sight of the crazy teacher.

After a moment, Ariana peeked out from her position. She knew Mrs Martin was a little high strung sometimes but this wasn't right. Liam seemed to have the same feeling, one hand cautiously resting on Ariana's arm as he watched Mrs Martin quickly bolting the entrance doors shut, effectively locking them inside.

A number of senior students were trickling out of their classroom now as a result of the chaos, and Ariana's eyes immediately honed in on Scott McCall standing beside his best friend Stiles, dark haired Kira hovering just behind his shoulder.

Scott looked like a regular teenager right now, blending in completely amongst the other students. It was almost impressive if it wasn't also incredibly infuriating. Did he understand the extent of the chaos he had caused? Did he have any idea? The fury began to slowly sink into Ariana like cold water, numbing her. Here was Scott just living out another day as if nothing was wrong. As if he hadn't been responsible for two deaths last night.

Before Ariana could let the rage inside her grow into anything dangerous, Mrs Martin was barking out instructions to the group of students trickling out of the classroom. "Back to your seats. Now!"

Scott hesitated at the doorway with Stiles, and Ariana could make out a look of concern on their faces. Scott's eyes wandered for a moment before they locked in on Liam and Ariana's heads poking out around the corner. He stared at them for a second, eyes widening slightly as Liam began to whisper in a low voice.

"Scott, we need your help. It's important."

Scott gave a small nod, his eyes trained on Liam. "Alright, just give me-"

"-Please!" Mrs Martin cut Scott off, giving him a sharp look as she pleaded with him to join the rest of the seniors back in the classroom. He closed his mouth, shrugging his shoulders apologetically to Liam before following Stiles back inside.

"Damn it," Liam cursed half under his breath, resting his head on the wall with a light thud. "Wait…" he trailed off as he suddenly stared off into the distance with a look of concentration. After a moment his eyes widened. "What…?"

"What's going on?" Ariana asked, hugging her arms to herself as she observed Liam using his werewolf hearing. It was a bit odd to watch him listening to something she couldn't hear at all, but then again she had somehow created an earthquake without even trying so she couldn't really judge what was odd anymore.

"She's calling the CDC…The Centre for Disease Control." Liam said as he stared at Ariana with a look full of concern and confusion, an expression that seemed almost permanently stuck on his face lately. He was lucky it was endearing, but that was beside the point. Ariana shook off any thoughts on Liam's cute expression, instead focusing on the problem they were suddenly facing.

"Disease Control?" Ariana's widened in horror as she stared back at Liam, a million thoughts suddenly flying through her mind. "What does that even mean? What's going on?"

Liam stared off towards the classroom, worry clear in his eyes. "I don't know…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter was a little bit longer than usual so thanks for getting through it and I hope it was enjoyable! Ariana's powers are slowly starting to manifest themselves but the question remains - what is she? And did Ariana's ominous nightmare mean anything? Feel free to let me know your thoughts on everything so far if you have a chance to leave a review! Stay tuned for the next chapter as The Chemist attempts to take down the pack, but is he after Ariana too? We'll see! :)


	13. Disaster

Deaton studied the small redhead huddled on the chair in front of him, her hands clutching the cup of tea he'd made her so tightly he could see the whites of her knuckles. Satomi had rushed off not long after she ushered Genevieve inside, claiming her pack needed her right now, leaving Deaton to care for the soft spoken girl.

Genevieve still hadn't said much but she was clearly terrified, that much was clear. She had barely looked at Deaton since she sat down. Instead her eyes were fixated on the wall opposite her.

Deaton gave her another moment before he finally spoke again. "So, Genevieve, why don't you tell me what happened? I'm here to help."

Genevieve snapped her eyes back up to him, looking every bit like a deer caught in headlights. She tightened her grip on the cup a little more, inhaling deeply to calm herself before she finally opened her mouth. "I don't really know…I'm sorry. It's all a bit blurry."

"That's okay. Why don't you tell me what you do remember?" Deaton asked, keeping his voice calm. It was almost like he was talking to the many terrified animals that came into his clinic, and the thought did not pass his mind unnoticed. He took a small step closer to her and crouched down in front of her, giving her a small nod of encouragement.

She returned his nod, taking another deep breath. Her red hair was still clinging to her face, the wet locks hanging off her head limply. "Well I…I was just going for a walk tonight. I finished my dance class late and I was just walking back by myself…And then suddenly I was in the woods. And I didn't really feel like myself. I don't know what happened." Genevieve ducked her head down as tears prickled in the corners of her eyes, letting out a tiny sniffle.

Deaton nodded slowly, his mind slowly processing it all. It wasn't a lot of information and it definitely didn't explain anything yet. "I see. And then Satomi found you out there. What happened next?"

"She…um well she asked me who my alpha was and what pack I was from."

"Did any of that make sense to you?"

"No. I thought she was crazy. I just told her I was lost. But then she…" Genevieve took a shaky breath. "She changed right in front of me. Like with claws and teeth and- and she told me she was like me." Genevieve looked up with a frown now. "She…she told me I was a werewolf."

"And what did you think about that?" Deaton asked softly, watching her carefully.

"I thought she was still just crazy. I didn't believe her. And then I saw claws on my hands." Genevieve stared down at her hands, now clawless, but the memory clearly shook her. "I-I didn't even realise they were there. I don't understand how…" Genevieve trailed off again with a stifled sob.

Deaton gave her a few moments to compose herself as he took in this information.

"Now Genevieve, people don't just become werewolves overnight. Has this happened before? Do you remember getting bitten at all?"

Genevieve shook her head several times firmly. "No, this was definitely the first time. And I think I'd remember getting bitten by a wolf. Like I said, I was just walking home from ballet and then suddenly I was in the woods. That's all..." Genevieve ducked her head down to stare miserably at the cup of tea in her hand.

Deaton pursed his lips as he stood up again and slowly began to pace across the small room. This was certainly unusual. It seemed like she had completely blocked the memory of being bitten, if that had even happened. There was a possibility that she was a born wolf of course, but that didn't explain her first shift happening last night. It was very peculiar indeed, even for Beacon Hills.

 

Ariana and Liam managed to stay out of the way as a team of people in yellow hazmat suits rushed around the building, securing it for quarantine. After a few minutes, Liam finally tugged Ariana back into the main hallway and managed to catch Stiles's attention from the doorway into the PSAT classroom. A moment later, Stiles slipped out with Kira and another tall girl beside him. As soon as Stiles caught sight of Ariana he had his mouth already open, clearly ready for accusations.

"Where's Scott?" Liam asked the others before Stiles could say anything to anger Ariana.

"I think he went to check on some of the other kids and see if he could help," Kira said, shrugging her shoulders with a soft smile as Stiles took a step backwards, his eyes still full of suspicion as he stared down at Ariana. Well that confirmed that Liam had obviously told the others about Ariana's involvement in the orphan's extracurricular activities.

"So who is infected so far?" Liam asked Kira, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Kira bit her lip for a moment, glancing around the hallway as several other students rushed past in a mild panic. "I don't know how many exactly. I mean Sydney was the first one we noticed. She broke out into a rash and passed out just after we started the test. Coach passed out in his office too. And Siobhan…" Kira frowned slightly as she trailed off momentarily. "Well she didn't exactly faint but she did start freaking out."

"Freaking out? How?" Ariana asked with a frown, although she couldn't help being secretly pleased that karma had seemingly reached Beacon Hills' resident bitch.

Kira shrugged in response. "I don't know. She just started screaming and yelling about how everyone was going to die."

"So we've seen fainting, the weird rash and apparently paranoia. Awesome." Stiles ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Also, what the hell are the two of you even doing here today?" he asked, turning suddenly to Ariana and Liam with an accusatory look.

Liam glanced over at Ariana, his eyebrows raised uncertainly, clearly uncertain about how much she wanted the rest of the pack to know. Ariana glanced back at him, shaking her head ever so slightly. She barely even trusted Scott right now, much less the rest of his pack. Her eyes skimmed over Kira and the other girl again as she thought back to everything Garrett had told her about Scott's pack. By the look of it, the tall girl was probably Malia Hale, the werecoyote. Ariana still had no clue what exactly a werecoyote was and how she differed from a werewolf but Malia seemed to follow in Stiles's attitude, giving Ariana a suspicious look as they locked eyes briefly.

"We were trying to study but Ariana left some books in her locker so we came to get them," Liam said finally, shrugging. Malia narrowed her eyes as she glanced between the two of them, almost as if she could sense the lie Liam had just dropped.

Stiles seemed to buy the lie though, or at least he couldn't be bothered arguing with them, choosing to sigh accompanied by a roll of his eyes. "Right, great. Well now we have you two to worry about too. Great. Just try not to get infected, please."

"I wasn't exactly planning on it," Liam shot back, the attitude ringing clear in his tone as he glared up at the older boy. Ariana bit back a giggle, ducking her eyes away to the floor instead.

"So are we going to find out what caused this?" Malia asked impatiently as she folded her arms.

Ariana bit her lip before speaking, "Well I know a bit about chemistry and poisons-"

"Yes, we're well aware," Stiles interrupted her, folding his arms as he gave her a suspicious look. "How do we know you didn't do this?"

"Because she didn't." Liam stepped in front of Ariana protectively, matching Stiles' stance with his arms folded as he glared up at the older boy. "She had nothing to do with this."

"As I was saying," Ariana said as she gave Stiles a glare, "I know a bit about chemistry so maybe I can find something to help. It sounds like it could be some kind of infection, or virus. Maybe I can help." Ariana shrugged, not really sure of why she was even offering her help right now when she didn't even like Scott, but Liam seemed to appreciate it. He smiled back at her, nodding slightly.

Stiles continued to glare at her suspiciously though, his eyes unmoving on hers. "I don't think we need your help," he said finally, folding his arms as if he had ended the conversation.

Before Ariana could open her mouth to argue back, Mr Yukimura came rushing around the corner, his entire face pulled into a panicked expression. "Stiles, Scott needs your help. Now."

"What? Dad, what's going on? Is Scott okay?" Kira stepped forward, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"He's in the locker room," Mr Yukimura said as he turned to face his daughter. "I think whatever affected everyone else is affecting Scott too. He's shifting and he can't stop it."

Stiles glanced over at Malia who still looked human enough, until she slowly pulled her hands out to reveal long curled claws at the end of her fingers, causing Ariana to step back slightly in shock. "Crap," Stiles cursed aloud, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, let's go." Without another word, he charged off with Malia and Kira both half a step behind him.

Liam turned to leave but halted after one step to turn back to Ariana. "Ari, I think you should wait here. Scott…He could be dangerous right now if he can't control his shifts."

Ariana pursed her lips as she nodded back. "That's fine. I might head to the Chemistry lab and see if I can find anything that might help," she offered, squeezing Liam's hand quickly. He flashed an encouraging grin before bounding off around the corner, leaving her alone in the corridor.

Ariana had to admit as much as she hated being alone right now, she had zero desires to go into a confined space with a werewolf considering the way that situation had ended up last time. Brushing a hand over the scar on her cheek from the other night, Ariana lingered in the hallway for a moment as the memory washed over her. It had only been a few nights ago that Liam had attacked her and yet here she was missing him as soon as he disappeared around the corner. Then again a lot had happened in the last few days.

Letting a sigh escape her lips, Ariana turned on her heels, figuring that if she was going to do any research then the chemistry lab would be the best place to start. Luckily she was able to pick the lock, using Violet's tried and tested technique, and slip into the unused classroom easily, heading straight to the pile of Science books sitting along the back bookshelf.

There were plenty of books that could have helped her but Ariana already had a bit of a theory based on what she'd heard so far and she quickly reached for the AP Biology textbook under a pile of useless Junior books. The normal humans were experiencing some kind of infection, slightly vague and unhelpful, but Scott and Malia were both experiencing a problem controlling their abilities. It seemed oddly specific and as a fairly well trained assassin by now, Ariana knew that nothing happened by chance, not when there were people worth several million dollars wandering the school corridors.

"Infection…Infection…Okay well it's probably viral…So…DNA…No it's definitely not Adenoviridae…Maybe RNA based?" Ariana mumbled to herself as she flicked through the pages, searching for anything to help. "Maybe…Maybe it's not targeted to humans…"

"Ah, hello Ariana Petrakis."

Ariana snapped her head up from the book at the familiar voice, her eyes widening slightly as she looked up. Standing in the doorway was Simon, one of the few corrupt chemists in Beacon Hills and someone who had provided her and the orphans with plenty of illegal chemicals and drugs over the last year. He had always been good to her, giving her the lethal doses she needed to do the job and always keeping things at a reasonable price.

"Simon? What…What are you doing here?" Ariana asked, suddenly a little wary as she noticed the odd gleam in his eyes.

Simon leaned against the door frame, folding his arms as he studied her. "I'm the proctor for the PSATs today."

Ariana narrowed her eyes slightly as she waited for him to continue, her instincts telling her that there was definitely more to his story.

"Oh, and I'm here to cross off some more names for the Benefactor." Simon kept his expression neutral as he watched for Ariana's reaction. Of course. Of course he knew about the deadpool. The revelation didn't even startle Ariana. What did startle her was the realisation that her name was now included in the list. Which meant Simon definitely knew about her.

Ariana had been so worried about the sudden appearance of her abilities last night that she hadn't even had time to focus on the fact that she was now in danger herself. As she studied Simon she vaguely wondered if he'd always had that sinister look in his eyes. She'd always thought of him as someone happy to help her, but that kindness seemed to vanish now that she had become a target.

"Okay," she said, edging back an inch. "So you're going to kill me then?" Strangely, the thought didn't terrify her as much as it probably should. Her mind flashed towards Violet and Garrett. They had always been a tight trio, never leaving one behind. It seemed only fair for her to follow the other two to death too.

Simon raised an eyebrow as he studied Ariana for a moment. "Not necessarily…" he said slowly, toying with the gun in his hand. "Look Ariana, I'm willing to overlook your name in the Deadpool if you help me out. Find McCall."

"Why? Why would you do that? You know I'm on the list and I'm worth a bit of money. Why not take me down now?" Ariana asked, folding her arms as she stared up at the chemist, her eyes narrowing.

"Because the alpha is worth more and I need help tracking him down. If you help me find the alpha I might even be persuaded to split some of the money. I'm guessing you're out of a job now that you've lost your friends. You've kept me in business with your little team of mercenaries. Consider this a favour for one of my favourite clients."

Ariana studied Simon for a moment, weighing up her choices. On one hand, she didn't really care if he killed her right now as awful as that sounded, but on the other hand Liam's face with his big blue eyes popped into her mind's eye, causing her to falter.

"Okay look…I don't know where he is. So…what? You want to wander the corridors together until we find him?" Ariana asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Of course not. I have students to tend to," Simon said, seeming offended that she would doubt his responsibility to the students he had been stupidly given care of. She supposed as long as the students were human there was a chance he did care about their wellbeing but it did feel a little crazy. "And besides, McCall should be feeling a little under the weather already, so all you need to do is find him, finish him off and take the photo as proof. Then as soon as the CDC lifts the cell reception, send it to me and I'll pass it onto the Benefactor."

Ariana frowned as she took in the plan, giving it a moment to sink in before she finally spoke. "So I'm just doing your dirty work. Or rather finishing it off."

"Well you see I can't exactly get caught with a dead body. Bad for business. But you're already targeted by the FBI thanks to your friends."

"And what if I don't help you?" Ariana asked, folding her arms in an act of defiance.

Simon cocked his head to one side as he pulled out a gun from his pocket and clicked the silencer on. "It's you or McCall, Ariana. Your choice."

Ariana pursed her lips, already knowing in her heart that she didn't even need to consider the choice. It was already made for her. "Fine. Give me half an hour."

 

It wasn't like she was jumping for joy at the idea of taking Scott down, but she definitely wasn't shedding any tears as she made her way down the empty corridor towards the boy's locker room. All she needed to do was find Scott, see how he was doing and hope he was close to death so she wouldn't need to do much more. The less involvement she had in his death, the less chance she had of losing Liam's trust.

Ariana was halfway down the corridor when she heard the sound of rustling up ahead in Coach Finstock's office, causing her to halt in her steps. She was sure Coach had been taken into quarantine though, which meant it was someone else. Sure enough, as she peered around the doorway she spotted Scott's friend Stiles bent over Coach's desk. He spun around at the sound of her footsteps, and jumped back slightly he noticed her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, the accusatory expression back on his face as he looked Ariana up and down.

"What are _you_ doing here? Why aren't you with Scott and everyone else?" Ariana shot back, glaring up at him with an equally accusatory expression.

" _I'm_ trying to save them," Stiles said, his expression unmoving. "Coach was the only adult who got sick today. Something's not right. And Scott's getting worse. Not that you care," he added as an afterthought as he resumed rummaging through Coach's desk.

"What about Liam? Is he okay?" Ariana asked, taking a small step into the office, folding her arms.

"Liam? I don't know. He seemed fine to me when I left them." Stiles brushed off Ariana's pointed glare as he flicked through a few of the folders on the desk. Great, so he'd left Liam somewhere with a bunch of sick supernatural creatures. That meant there was every chance Liam had contracted the illness himself, which meant he could die too. Ariana sucked in a sharp breath, which luckily went unnoticed by Stiles. Well, it looked like Ariana was back to figuring out the mystery illness after all.

Leaning against the wall to think, Ariana chewed on the inside of her cheek gently, her mind whirling away. "Hang on…What were the symptoms that everyone else showed?" she asked suddenly, an idea slowly forming in her mind.

"I don't know!" Stiles shrugged his shoulders with a lot more movement than Ariana thought possible. "Sydney had a rash, and Siobhan was having weird hallucinations and saying everyone would die. But that doesn't help us!"

Ariana began to pace back and forth in the small room as Stiles continued to rummage through Coach's messy desk. "Okay so there was the rash. And potentially fever induced hallucinations? That's almost like measles."

Stiles paused momentarily to give Ariana a look of frustration. "Well Scott and Malia aren't exactly spouting measles. What are you getting at?"

But Ariana was already racing through her next train of thought, picking up the pace as she walked up and down the room. "So maybe it's not necessarily a poison, but someone spreading a virus. But it's targeting the supernatural. Like some form of canine distemper!" Her eyes widened at her own realisation.

Stiles glared at Ariana, waving a hand frantically for her to continue. "Canine what?"

"Canine distemper," Ariana repeated again, raising an eyebrow back at him. This was basic AP Biology knowledge and the fact that she, a freshman, knew it before Stiles was just embarrassing. "Canine distemper is a viral infection that targets a heap of animals, specifically dogs. It's part of the Paramyxoviridae family."

Stiles narrowed his eyes as he stared at Ariana, gesturing one hand at her in frustration. "Okay and in English?" he asked, glaring as she rolled her eyes.

"It's the same virus family as the Measles only it doesn't seem to affect people in the same way. It can cause neurological issues. Force an animal to lose control…"

"Like forcing a werewolf to shift…" Stiles finally caught on, slowly sinking into Coach's desk chair with wide eyes. "Okay. So how do we cure this canine distemper?"

Ariana bit her lip as she clasped her hands together anxiously. "I don't think you can. Not unless you have some kind of powerful steroid to boost their immune system into action." She shrugged, leaning back against the bookcase.

Stiles nodded for a moment before pausing, the suspicious expression returning to his face. "Hold up. How did you know about Canine Distemper anyway?"

Ariana rolled her eyes. Surely by this point he'd given up on blaming her. "Well I got bored of memorising human-related viruses so I moved onto animals. Lucky for you."

"Yeah real lucky. Now we know the name of the deadly virus my best friends are dealing with. Really helpful. And we still have no idea how they even got the virus." Stiles said, his hands flailing in the air in annoyance and almost knocking over Coach's mug that had been sitting innocently on a pile of graded student papers. Letting out an irritated huff, Stiles readjusted the mug before freezing in place, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What? What is it?" Ariana asked, still too irritated to actually move any closer.

"The papers. They're all stamped. He was marking the papers today…"

"And?" Ariana frowned, glancing back and forth between Stiles and the papers he was gesturing impatiently at.

"We all had to do a thumb print for the PSATs. Maybe it's in the ink."

Ariana's eyes widened as she nodded slowly. That definitely seemed to fit.

"Very good, Stilinski."

Ariana jumped slightly as Simon suddenly appeared in the doorway, startling her for the second time today. He was holding his gun casually by his side as he pointed in amusement at Stiles. Looking back at Stiles, Ariana watched as his eyes trailed down to the gun, widening slightly.

"You know, I wondered how that idiot got sick. Oh well. Every plan has it's casualties." Simon shrugged easily, lifting the gun up to toy with it as the air in the room thickened with tension. "Now how about you tell me where your friends are? I really don't want this all to be for nothing. If I want to get paid by the Benefactor I will need some kind of proof."

"Visual confirmation," Stiles muttered half under his breath, his eyes still trained on the gun in Simon's hand. Ariana shifted slightly, pressing her back against the wall as she glanced over at Simon. He definitely didn't seem to pleased to find her here, clearly not searching for Scott. So her part of the deal was over then. It was only a matter of time until he decided to take her down.

 

"All I need is a simple location and you're both free to go," Simon said as he walked slowly, pushing Stiles and Ariana ahead of him with his gun as a silent threat of what would happen if they tried to run.

"We don't know where they are," Ariana said firmly, which was definitely true on her end. Stiles glanced at her as he shifted slightly in front of her, half shielding her from Simon. It wasn't quite enough though and Simon smirked as he readjusted the angle of the gun.

"You know Ariana, if you had been more cooperative earlier, things would be a lot easier for everyone. After everything I've done for you, you really did owe me." Simon said, directing the gun straight at Ariana's temple now, a menacing smile sitting on his face.

"You know this guy? Wait, of course you do. You're both psychopaths." Stiles jerked his head around to glare at Ariana. Ariana gave him a withering look right back before turning her gaze back to Simon, his gun still pointed straight at her temple. She could feel a slight tremble in her chest and inhaled deeply in an attempt to stop herself from causing another natural disaster. Now really wasn't the time to lose control.

"Don't you think you should tell me where they are? Shouldn't one of you get to live?" Simon asked Ariana, cocking his head to one side.

Stiles glanced back at Ariana, an odd look in his eyes. Ariana briefly wondered if he was actually considering moving aside, if he was sizing up if she deserved to live, especially after everything he knew about her. The thought had definitely crossed her own mind of course, but she was curious to see if Stiles would feel the same. Liam claimed that Scott would help her, but he hadn't said anything about the rest of the pack.

After a moment, Stiles finally looked back up at Simon, setting his jaw before speaking. "I think I saw them in the cafeteria. Or maybe it was the library. Definitely one of those two."

Ariana remained silent as she hovered behind Stiles. Most of her attention was currently being directed to her trembling hands, but she was still aware enough to catch Stiles's lie. He hadn't mentioned the library or cafeteria at all to her. He was lying, probably to protect Scott, but she appreciated it all the same.

Simon's expression was eerily calm as he looked over at Stiles. "Nice try. I'm going to count to three and then I'm going to kill her," he said, indicating towards Ariana with his gun which was really just unnecessary at this point.

"You think you can scare me by threatening to kill her? Because I honestly don't care if you do. She's a terrible person." Stiles shrugged, oddly nonchalant as he kept his eyes on the gun.

"No I think I can kill her because she broke her part of our deal." Simon cocked the gun sideways as he took another step forward, his eyes cold and hard on Ariana.

"Hold up. Your deal? You two had some deal? Oh great. I knew you were involved in this somehow," Stiles let out another irritated huff, his hands flailing out beside him. Interestingly, he didn't move from his position in front of Ariana though, still unconsciously protecting her.

"You don't even know, do you Stiles? You don't know who you're protecting." Simon raised an eyebrow as he turned his cold eyes back to Ariana. "You don't know _what_ you're protecting."

Simon exchanged a look with Ariana who widened her eyes slightly, her fingers twitching a little. Of course, Stiles didn't know about her abilities or her appearance on the Deadpool. He had no idea he was standing between Simon and several thousand dollars. But something else about his choice of words struck Ariana. _What_ she was. As if he knew exactly what she was.

"If you mean I'm standing in front of a murderer, don't worry. I'm well aware," Stiles said, throwing Ariana a glare. She ignored it, narrowing her eyes at Simon instead.

"Oh yes, she's certainly got some blood on her hands. But that's not all. Looks like you don't know everything, Mr Stilinski." Simon took a small sinister step towards them, and suddenly all Ariana could focus on was the gun now pointed straight at Stiles, who was visibly trembling now. Simon seemed to enjoy it though, his grip tightening on the gun. "I wonder how quickly you would change your mind if you knew. How quickly you would step aside if you knew you were protecting a-"

But before Simon could finish his sentence, there was a loud bang and Simon dropped to the floor with a thud. Ariana jumped back with a scream, her hands flinging up to cover her mouth. She froze for a moment, her mind trying to understand what had just happened and as her gaze moved across to Stiles's face, now splattered with specks of blood.

"You two okay?"

Ariana stared up at the tall man standing in front of her as he lowered his gun. There was something familiar about his face, although she couldn't quite place it.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Stiles asked the man, a look of bitter recognition in his eyes as he wiped a hand over his face, smudging the splattered blood.

"Listen Stiles, I got a call from Melissa. I don't know what it means. She said there's an antidote.. It's in the vault. Reishi mushrooms."

Ariana's eyes widened at the mention of the mushrooms. Reishi mushrooms. They were practically the plant equivalent of a steroid. Perfect. "Stiles. That's it," she hissed, tugging at his sleeve, but Stiles pulled his arm away, stepping forward to question the man further.

"What do you mean in the vault?" he asked, ignoring Ariana as she tugged on his shirt impatiently.

"It's in a jar on one of the shelves. She said to tell Scott. It's in the vault." The man shrugged helplessly.

Stiles glanced up down the hall, a look of familiarity in his eyes as he nodded, already prepared to race away to his friend.

The man stepped forward though, blocking Ariana's path before she could follow Stiles. "Wait, you're Ariana Petrakis, right? I spoke to your foster brother earlier today." The tall man's eyes had a mixture of pity and understanding, something that immediately threw Ariana off. She wasn't used to adults giving her that kind of look.

"You spoke to Lucas? Why? Who are you?" Ariana asked, suddenly wary as she stopped in her tracks. She'd almost forgotten the fact that the police probably still needed to question her about Violet and Garrett.

"I'm Agent McCall. FBI."

Ariana's eyebrows raised at the familiar surname but she kept her mouth shut, waiting for him to continue his explanation.

"We just needed to confirm a few things, but don't worry, you're not in any trouble. Lucas confirmed that you weren't involved in the assassin scheme. But you do need to let us know if you hear from Violet."

"Of course." Ariana said, swallowing the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat. Right, Violet's body obviously hadn't been found yet. As far as the police were concerned she was probably considered a fugitive. Ariana briefly made a mental note to interrogate Scott about that later. Surely if he'd found Violet with Kate then he knew what had happened to her.

"Ariana, we need to go. Now." Stiles said shortly. Ariana stopped briefly, surprised that he hadn't already sprinted away without her. But he waited, raising a vaguely irritated eyebrow at her like he couldn't understand why she wasn't already following him.

"Right. Sorry," Ariana nodded, giving Agent McCall a quick timid smile that would hopefully cement her status as someone small and innocent. He seemed to buy it well enough, giving her a nod back. Without another moment of hesitation, Ariana turned and sprinted after Stiles. Every step was just a little closer to Scott and closer to the truth of who she was. All she needed to do was get to him before he died.

The irony of her new position as someone rushing to save Scott wasn't lost on her but she pointedly let that go, following Stiles towards the vault, wherever that was.

 

Although Genevieve had sworn she was too awake and overwhelmed to even think about sleeping, the tea that Deaton had given her seemed to suggest otherwise and within minutes of drinking it, she was curled up on the small couch in the back room of the clinic, a thin blanket drawn over her.

When she dreamed, it was all murky and confusing. There were flashes of dark woods and large trees, and the looming sense of something bad made its way into each scenario, almost as if her mind was trying to warn her of something but it wasn't giving her all of the information.

By the time she woke up, her heart racing, the sun had set outside, leaving the back room of the clinic so dark she could barely see her own hand in front of her. The darkness threw her and for a moment Genevieve felt herself sinking into a panic as she tried to remember where she was, her brain suddenly going blank with fear.

Hugging her knees to her chest tightly, Genevieve felt her breath quickening, a sign that one of her panic attacks wasn't too far off. The longer she sat there, the more she could feel the walls beginning to close in on her, the dark slowly consuming her as she tried to breathe in and out. It didn't work though and after a few moments of heavy breathing, she felt an odd sensation in her hands. A quick panicked glance down revealed a set of claws that hadn't appeared since last night. Genevieve stuffed her hands under the blanket as she felt her heartbeat racing, her breathing now coming out in loud frantic gasps.

Before she could spiral too deep, her ears picked up the sound of the front door opening and the click of a light. Half a second later fluorescent lighting flooded into the room, followed by Deaton and Satomi. Genevieve squinted slightly at the sudden shift in lighting, still a little disoriented. She slowly pulled her hands out in front of her, relaxing a little as she saw they had returned to normal. With a small sigh of relief, she wrapped her arms around her knees once more, the gasps fading a little.

Satomi frowned as she looked down at Genevieve, taking in her huddled up form. "Your heart is beating very fast. What happened?"

"What? Oh nothing. I'm fine." Genevieve nodded a little too quickly, making a conscious effort to relax her grip around her knees as she settled back into the couch and tried to force her breathing back to normal. Satomi pursed her lips disbelievingly but didn't push further. Instead she glanced over at Deaton with a raised eyebrow. The two of them seemed to communicate silently and Genevieve took the moment of silence to study them both in the light.

"So um, what happened?" Genevieve asked, glancing back and forth between Satomi and Deaton. They both looked a little weary, and Satomi had a dark look in her eyes, like she'd lost something close to her. Genevieve recognised that look as the same one she saw in the mirror every night.

"Someone has been trying to hurt me and my pack. Some of us survived but some did not," Satomi said shortly, lifting her chin high as she spoke. There was a sense of finality to her words, giving Genevieve the strong impression that pushing any further questions was not the best idea, not that she had much energy to ask a lot of questions anyway.

There was a pause for a moment as Genevieve sunk a little further into the couch, rubbing a hand over her face as she took another deep calming breath. Panic attacks always tired her out and it felt like her head had been tugged through a tornado as she recovered. Not to mention she was still trying to get her head around being told she was a werewolf. That had definitely thrown her off a little.

Taking a few steps closer towards Genevieve, Deaton clasped his hands in front of himself, looking a little concerned. "Genevieve, do you have family who might be worried about you?"

Genevieve shook her head with a sad shrug, the very idea almost laughable to her. "No. I'm a foster kid. My foster mom probably hasn't even realised I'm gone." The thought stung for a moment but Genevieve brushed that away quickly. She'd come to terms with her irrelevance a long time ago. Her current foster home was more like a resting place than a real home. It was a place that saved a bed and the occasional meal for her, but that was about as loving as it got. It was enough to survive and that was all she really needed.

"She should come with me," Satomi said, giving Deaton a look. "She is not safe here. She will need my help."

"Satomi, you know she will be safe here. The clinic is protected," Deaton replied, nodding his head towards the walls as if that somehow explained everything. It didn't but Genevieve was too busy trying to comprehend the idea that two people were actually trying to protect her.

"Not protected enough. And she is new. She may lose control again. My pack can help her." Satomi said calmly. Genevieve glanced at her own hands, her mind flashing to the claws she had displayed only moments ago.

"Genevieve, what do you think?" Deaton asked kindly after a moment. Genevieve glanced up to see both of the adults looking at her, waiting. Leaning back a little at the sudden attention, her eyes widened slightly at the question.

Honestly right now Genevieve was thinking that this entire scenario felt more like a nightmare than reality, but that felt a little rude to say. "Well…If everything you've said is true…I want to know more. I need to know what I am."

Satomi nodded at Genevieve, a look akin to kindness sparking in her eyes as she spoke, "You will come with me. You can meet my pack…or what's left of us."

 

Ariana and Stiles were halfway to the vault, which was apparently under the school and had raised a lot of questions for Ariana, when Liam came crashing around the corner, concern apparent in his eyes. That concern grew the moment he spotted Ariana, and he quickly grabbed her by the arm, studying her closely as he felt the small tremors waving off of her body.

"You're okay," he stated, looking into her eyes. Ariana nodded, taking a deep breath as she allowed Liam to ground her, letting the tremors fade before she could cause any damage.

"Wait Liam, what are you doing out here? I thought you were with everyone else," Stiles said, breaking the moment between them as he frowned at Liam.

"Well yeah I was with them but Scott told me to go find you before the virus spread to me as well," Liam explained with a shrug of his shoulders as if that explained everything. Stiles seemed to accept that though, rolling his eyes with a sigh.

"Anyway listen, I went to find you and I saw the Proctor walking down the corridors with a gun. It's him. He's an assassin. He's here because of the Deadpool."

"Was here," Stiles corrected, giving Liam a quick wink that contradicted the slight shaky tone of his voice.

"Was? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Scott's dad shot him before he could shoot us. Now stop asking questions. We've got to get to the vault. The cure is inside but Scott doesn't know that." Stiles barely finished his sentence before he was sprinting back down the hall. Liam glanced at Ariana with a small smile before taking off, leaving Ariana to jog behind them.

By the time Ariana finally caught up with the two boys, Stiles was already slamming a hand against the large door frantically as he shouted to Scott who was apparently inside with Malia and Kira.

"Hey Scott? Scott? It's in the vault. The cure is in the vault with you. It's called Reishi mushrooms. Scott? It's in there with you! It's in a jar on one of the shelves!" Stiles continued to shout, his tone urgent and desperate.

Ariana inhaled deeply as she watched Stiles continuing to shout desperately. "What is this vault anyway?" she asked, her eyes trailing over the spiral carved into the large door.

"Its the Hale's vault," Liam said, glancing at Ariana as her eyes lit up with recognition at the name. Of course, Derek Hale. She remembered that name from the Deadpool. There had been another Hale on the list but the name was escaping her mind as she watched Stiles.

"Well can't you just break the door open?" she asked, turning to look Liam but Liam's eyes were wide with fear as he shook his head.

"No I already tried to open it when we first went in. Not Even Scott could get it open," he replied, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "Only Malia got it to move and she's stuck inside too," he added hopelessly. Liam was clearly trying to remain calm but Ariana could see his shoulders beginning to rise and fall a little quicker than before and she bit her lip as he took a small step away from the door, ducking his head down in an effort to calm himself.

Malia. Of course. Malia Hale. Ariana pursed her lips as Malia's listing on the Deadpool flashed in her mind. Liam didn't seem to realise the connection there but Ariana's mind worked quickly. Clearly only a Hale could get the door open. Which meant unless they got the mushrooms in time, they were all essentially trapped. And possibly dead. Even if Simon's plan had worked, it looked like the visual confirmation was a lost cause anyway.

That thought briefly stopped Ariana, and suddenly she was very glad that werewolves couldn't read minds. She didn't want Scott dead, not right now when he was possibly her best chance of working out what she was, but at the same time her lingering hatred for him hadn't faded away just yet. He was still the one responsible for taking her little family away. But at the same time, Liam's fear of losing his alpha made Ariana stop. She understood how he felt. And watching Stiles desperately slamming himself against the unmoving door gave her a painful flashback to the other night, her own fist slamming against the black tar of the dark road, Garrett's body lying unmoving below her.

The memory stung Ariana and she took a shaky breath as another tremor shifted through her body, small but noticeable. Clenching her fists, she clenched her jaw, focusing on Stiles instead.

"Scott? Can you hear me?" Stiles slammed his fists against the door in frustration again, pouring all of his energy into his movement, but the other side remained cold and silent. "SCOTT!"

As Ariana waited, the tension in her body sunk in a little deeper and she widened her eyes as the tremor returned again, trickling down her body slowly, but this time she didn't resist. Instead, she took a step closer to the door of the vault where Stiles was slumped, his eyes closed in defeat.

"Ari?" Liam asked softly with a frown as he looked up at her, but Ariana shook her head sharply to silence him.

Closing her eyes, Ariana slowly allowed her hands to tremble a little more, no longer resisting the feeling that had been threatening to wash over her all day. Now that she was allowing it, she could feel the tremors sifting through her veins, down her legs and toes, and sinking into the floor as it began to tremble below all around the small girl.

She had no idea how she was doing this, or if she even could stop it, but the tremors continued, pushing out of her body and into the ground. After a minute of tense silence, with nothing but the rumble of the earthquake below, there was the sharp sound of glass smashing on the other side of the door.

The sound jolted Ariana out of her concentration and she snapped her eyes open just as the earthquake came to a halt, the ground stilling itself once more. Lifting her gaze away from the door, Ariana looked across at Liam who was staring at her with wide eyes, a mixture of awe and fear in his eyes. Stiles didn't seem to notice however; he was too busy scrambling up to onto his knees as the door to the vault began to slide open, revealing Scott, now completely human, and more importantly - alive.

As Stiles and Scott reunited, Ariana glanced behind him into the vault. The jar of mushrooms lay smashed across the floor, the dust still settling in the air in the aftermath of her small natural disaster.

 

As the swarm of students finally began to filter out of the corridor and towards the crowd of parents anxiously waiting outside, Liam glanced over at Ariana. "You ready?"

Ariana took a deep breath to steel herself. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. Liam flashed her a warm encouraging smile before heading over to where Scott and the others were standing slightly out of sight from the crowd.

Liam approached them first, letting Ariana hover a few steps behind him. As she approached Scott, Ariana focused on keeping her breathing even, reminding herself that Liam trusted him. Up close, Scott didn't seem so terrifying though. He was giving off an unexpected warmth as he smiled down at Ariana, no suspicion or animosity in his eyes despite everything she'd done. It was odd, and it threw her off slightly. She ran a hand through her hair nervously as she hovered just behind Liam.

"Hey Scott. Um, so… I wasn't exactly honest when I told you why Ari and I came to school today," Liam said, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously as he pulled out the printed copy of the new deadpool he'd kept stuffed in his pocket.

Scott frowned but nodded for Liam to continue, accepting the paper without really looking at it, his gaze focused on his beta.

"Look, the list updated again last night and there's a new name. It's Ariana. We have to help her. Please, Scott."

Scott stared down at the list, studying it closely until he reached the bottom where Ariana's name was displayed. There was a tense silence until he finally glanced up at Ariana, his expression unreadable.

"I know she's done a lot of bad things, but she's not a bad person. Please." Liam pleaded with his alpha as Ariana moved to stand next to him, trying her best not to show how much her hands were shaking with nerves. At least she was praying it was just nerves and not another natural disaster.

Liam seemed to sense it though, maybe with his wolf abilities or maybe he just knew her too well by now. Still watching his alpha, he reached out to clasp Ariana's hand in his own. At least if Scott refused to help she would still have Liam and that was all that really mattered right now.

"And why should we help her? She's spent the last few weeks trying to kill Scott, or did you forget that? She literally made a deal with The Chemist today to do who knows what. Probably more murder. Why should we help her?" Stiles asked, coming up beside Scott, his eyes narrowed at Ariana.

"Because the earthquake that broke the jar inside the vault wasn't a coincidence," Liam shot back, raising an eyebrow at Stiles in challenge as he nodded his head towards Ariana. Stiles raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked at Ariana, clearly not expecting that.

Scott continued to look over the list again for a moment before studying Ariana again, his eyes warm but curious. "Well I guess we have a lot to talk about," He said finally, offering her a small but kind smile. "Come on, I think I know someone who can help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hopefully this was a fun chapter to read! We finally got to see Stiles and Ariana interacting and trust me there will be plenty more snarky banter coming for those two. Make sure to stay tuned for the next chapter as Ari gets a step closer to finding out what she is! Thanks again for reading and if you have time please leave a little review and let me know your thoughts!


	14. Answers

Ariana followed Scott, who was already calling someone on his cell, and the rest of his pack into the carpark, shivering slightly as the evening’s cold air sunk in through her denim jacket. Liam walked close beside her and his hand brushed against hers once or twice as they walked. It was almost as if he wanted to grab her hand but was too uncertain, shying away every time his fingers brushed hers until he finally shoved his hands into his pant pockets, leaving Ariana with an odd sense of longing.

 

The carpark was still fairly full of concerned parents and confused students roaming around, all full of unanswered questions about what has just happened. Ariana watched with a furrowed brow as Malia rushed off towards a waiting car, not even bothering to say goodbye to the group. Stiles seemed disappointed but didn’t go to follow her, instead he fell into step beside Scott and Kira, leaving Liam and Ariana to hurry along behind them.

 

A few feet away from the swarm of students, Ariana could see a group of girls, all part of Siobhan Brady’s little clique. They were all huddled in a tight group, their eyes all scouring the crowd with matching expressions, their noses all wrinkled in annoyance. They were probably trying to work out who to blame for the chaos, or more likely searching for Siobhan who seemed to be absent from the group. They were probably all lost without their leader. Ariana didn’t think too much of it through. Siobhan was probably just hiding in the girls bathroom perfecting her make up to cover for her little meltdown earlier.

 

“Okay so I just called Deaton,” Scott started as he tucked his phone back into his pocket, turning to face the rest of the group. They’d come to a stop at a clunky old jeep, which had probably been a nice shade of bright blue once but had now faded to a dusty dull shade instead. A quick glance around the group indicated that the jeep belonged to Stiles as Ariana watched him pull out his keys from his bag, fiddling with them noisily while Scott spoke.

 

“And he said he’s busy right now with something-” Scott went to continue speaking but he was sharply cut off by Stiles.

 

“What else could he be busy with? I mean we have a small murderous demon right now. I feel like that’s a priority.”

 

“I’m not a demon,” Ariana shot at Stiles, returning the withering glare he threw her way. She glanced around at everyone else, noting Scott’s worried brow and Kira’s wide eyes. Did Kira always look like a deer in headlights? It was a little unsettling but Ariana chalked it up to concern, shrugging her shoulders defensively. “I mean, I don’t know what I am but I’m pretty sure I’d know if I was a demon. Who is Deaton anyway?”

 

“He’s Scott’s boss at the Vet,” Liam explained quietly. “And he knows a lot about the supernatural.”

 

Well that definitely didn’t explain anything at all. All Ariana got from Liam’s explanation was that Scott worked at the vet, which was an odd bit of information and she was a little surprised that Garrett hadn’t mentioned it earlier. Surely knowing where their targets worked was key knowledge. Then again he probably had mentioned it and Ariana hadn’t paid attention since she’d been too focused on the concept of Liam being a werewolf. Ariana quickly shook off the memory of Garrett before the grief hovering just below the surface could swallow her up.

 

“So what’s the plan then?” Kira asked as she leaned against the jeep, one ankle crossed over the other. Ariana was grateful for Kira’s swift distraction, ducking her head down for a moment.

 

“Well as I was saying,” Scott paused to shoot Stiles a look, “ Deaton is busy now but he’s finishing up so he said we can head over to the clinic and he’ll see what he can do.”

 

Ariana nodded, frowning as the movement suddenly made the world spin a little. She hadn’t realised how exhausted she was until right now and the idea of going and being interrogated by someone suddenly seemed incredibly unappealing.

 

“Um, I think Ari needs to rest first,” Liam said suddenly, reaching out to squeeze her hand gently before quickly letting go again.

 

Scott’s eyes skimmed over Ariana, taking in her vaguely pale appearance with a look of concern. Finally he nodded. “Of course. Ariana, Stiles can drive you home if you like.”

 

Stiles let out a scoff in argument, shaking his head. “Excuse you, I am _not_ a chauffeur, especially for people who create earthquakes. This jeep will not survive that. Liam can get his girlfriend home himself.”

 

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Liam shot at Stiles, his eyes widening almost as soon as he finished speaking. He turned back to Ariana with a endearingly frantic expression. His mouth stayed slightly agape and he looked horrified as he attempted to recover, but no words came out.

 

Ariana had to admit, his outburst stunned her a little but he wasn’t wrong. She didn’t really know what they were right now. They had almost been something, but now they seemed to be hovering in an awkward stage of in-between something. Not to mention, it all seemed a little trivial when she was at risk of creating a natural disaster at any moment.

 

Locking eyes with Liam, Ariana gave a small shake of her head, a smile curling onto the edge of her lips to let him know she wasn’t upset by what he had said. He ducked his head down in relief as Ariana turned her gaze back up to Stiles. “You’re being a little rude considering I could make an earthquake under your feet right now,” she said, her expression darkening a little. It was mostly a lie of course. She had no idea how to actually control her abilities, but Stiles didn’t need to know that.

 

“You see that?” Stiles turned to Scott, his eyes wide in astonishment. “She literally just threatened me! And you want her to get in my jeep?”

 

Scott and Stiles locked eyes for a moment, and Ariana watched them closely as they appeared to hold a brief wordless conversation full of raised eyebrows and rolled eyes. Finally Stiles dropped his head in defeat, sighing heavily in frustration.

 

Scott steeled himself and shifted away from Stiles, now satisfied that he wouldn’t argue further, and turned to Ariana, his kind eyes throwing her off yet again.“Stiles will drive you home. How far do you live?”

 

Ariana hesitated, wringing her hands together as her mind flashed back to her empty apartment. The idea of going back there made her feel a little queasy, the cold feeling of grief slowly coating itself over her body. “Um, actually I don’t really…I think I…I don’t want to…” She couldn’t even get a full sentence out now, her mind suddenly fuzzy as she tried to block out the idea of being stuck in the cold apartment by herself.

 

“She’s going to stay with me,” Liam cut in swiftly again, jutting his chin out at Scott, daring him to push Ariana any further.

 

Scott seemed to accept Liam’s answer though, nodding with a gentle smile. “No worries. Stiles will drop you both back at your house and then we’ll go and see Deaton tomorrow.”

 

Ariana nodded back at Scott, the odd sense of relief allowing a small smile to slip up her lips. She didn’t fully trust him of course. How could she trust someone who had caused her two closest friends to die? But still, he seemed genuine in his desire to help and right now she was too exhausted to argue.

 

So instead, she climbed into the back of Stiles’s jeep beside Liam and watched as Scott swung a leg over his motorbike, conveniently parked right beside the jeep, with Kira climbing on behind him. A moment later the two of them drove off into the distance and Ariana was left to slump in her seat as Stiles began a long rant about how inconvenient this entire drive would be for him.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

Stiles was kind enough to stop at Ariana’s apartment briefly so she could run inside and grab a change of clothes, although he did roll his eyes and huff several times as he followed her directions there, and he seemed far more put out than was necessary, even though she was barely ten minutes away from Liam’s house.

 

Even walking into the house gave Ariana a cold chill and she felt herself holding her breath as she moved around. She did her best not to look around the empty rooms too much in case she caught sight of a memory that would tip her over the edge. She’d have to come backproperly soon, after all she couldn’t crash at Liam’s house forever. But for now the memories of her friends were too fresh and raw, the cold grief settling itself deeper into her body the longer she stayed. Every inch of the house was coated in memories of her loss, every piece of furniture held a memory of happier moments. It all seemed so long ago, even though she’d lost Garrett and Violet only days ago.

 

She was barely inside for five minutes, grabbing a few essentials and stuffing them into her backpack, but even five minutes felt like too long. Forcing a shaky breath, Ariana finally hurried back outside, locking the door behind her and jogging back to the jeep.

 

“You okay?” Liam asked quietly as Ariana slid into the back seat beside him. She nodded wordlessly, hugging her backpack to her chest tightly, not trusting herself to speak right now. Liam didn’t push any further as Stiles reversed back out of the small driveway and steered the jeep towards Liam’s house, still huffing about the inconvenience of the detour.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

As Liam finally led Ariana into his home, she was painfully aware of the last time she’d been inside. It had been one visit but the house already held a lot of weight. The memories all slipped back into her mind as she looked around, from Liam’s lips on hers, to the dreaded phone call in the bathroom, the panic sinking into her bones as she realised she was in the house of a werewolf. But it didn’t seem to scary right now. Perhaps it was because she was the scary one now, the one with unknown abilities that could be set off at any moment.

 

Still, Liam didn’t seem to afraid of her right now as he flashed her a wide smile as he swung the door shut behind them.“Mom? You home?” he called out, grabbing Ariana’s jacket off her, hanging it up on a coat hook behind him.

 

“In the living room, honey!” A light voice called back from the other room. Liam tilted his head, indicating for Ariana to follow him as he headed towards the source of the voice, stopping at the doorway. Ariana peered around him, offering a timid smile towards his mother who was sitting on the couch with her legs curled up as she flicked through a magazine.

 

Now that Ariana was able to get a proper look at Liam’s mom, instead of just a brief glance as she sneaked away, she had to admit the woman was beautiful. She had the same big blue eyes as Liam, wide and youthful and her long honey blonde hair was swept over one shoulder as she tilted her head up towards the two teenagers standing in the doorway.

 

“Hey Mom, um this is Ariana. I know it’s late notice but I was wondering…is it okay if she stays over tonight?” Liam asked, tugging a hopeful smile onto his lips. Ariana hovered behind him awkwardly, praying that his mother wasn’t holding a grudge on her for sneaking out the last time she’d visited. Ariana wasn’t even sure if his mother knew she’d been there since they hadn’t had a chance to meet before Ariana had creeped back out.

 

Liam’s mother pursed her lips as she looked at the two teenagers doubtfully. “Oh honey, I don’t know about that…Did you check with Ariana’s parents first?”

 

“Actually, um, I just live with my brother but he’s a nurse at the hospital and he just got called into an overnight shift. And I don’t really want to be home all by myself,” Ariana said smoothly, widening her eyes a little. It felt a little odd, using the same tactic of innocence that she’d pulled out so many times on various assassin jobs, but it had never failed her and this was no exception. Liam’s mom’s expression softened right on cue.

 

“Oh, of course, sweetie. He’s probably working with Liam’s stepdad tonight!” Liam’s mother beamed up at Ariana, her eyes widening slightly at her own realisation. “Let me just go and get the guest bedroom set up for you. Liam, how about you get your little friend something to drink? I’m probably just ordering pizza for dinner, if that’s alright?”

 

Ariana nodded quickly, widening her own smile. “That sounds fine! Thank you Mrs-”

 

“Oh honey, you can call me Anna.” Liam’s mom flashed Ariana another kind smile as she brushed past her on her way up the stairs.

 

“Wow, you’re good,” Liam said as soon as his mother disappeared up the stairs. “I keep forgetting you do this for a living.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Lie.” There was no hostility in his words, but Ariana caught a flicker of uncertainty in Liam’s eyes as he glanced at her on his way into the kitchen to grab them both a glass of water. He almost looked like he was afraid of Ariana, like he’d forgotten her assassin background until now.

 

Still, the expression had only been fleeting and throughout the rest of the night Liam was upbeat and warm as usual, any uncertainty hidden from her as he scoffed down an entire pizza, much too his mother and Ariana’s shared amusement. By the time she was ushered to the guest bedroom to rest, Ariana had almost completely forgotten the brief moment of fear in his eyes.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

The next day Ariana woke up in in the guest bedroom and immediately found herself disorientated as she tried to remember where she was, looking frantically around the unfamiliar room. She scrambled back against the headboard, her breath already quickening, when the door suddenly swung open, revealing Liam, eyes already full of concern.

 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, hovering in the doorway uncertainly. “I…um, well I could hear your heartbeat. Wolf hearing,” he added quickly, ducking his eyes down as if he was ashamed to even mention his abilities. He probably was, especially after the last time he’d used his supernatural abilities near her.

 

Ariana hugged her knees to her chest a little tighter, nodding hurriedly. “I’m fine. Just…just a bit disorientated, I guess. What time is it?”

 

Liam tugged his phone out of his pocket to check the time, swiping it open and glancing at it for a moment before he looked back up at Ariana. “Well it’s just past nine a.m. I think Scott and Stiles were going to drop by soon and take us to Deaton’s clinic. He might be able to help work out what you are.”

 

Ariana took a slow deep breath in, letting her heartbeat return to its regular pace. “Yeah, that’d be nice,” she murmured, almost half under her breath. She usually loved puzzles, the scientific part of her always eager to figure out how things worked, but it was different when she was the puzzle. The curiosity was overshadowed by a fear of not knowing herself, or how to control whatever she was. Usually she would have gone straight to Violet and Garrett and the three of them would work it out together. But now she had to constantly remind herself that her preferred option no longer existed.

 

Liam studied Ariana for a moment before a look of resolve slipped onto his face and he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, leaving a bit of space between them as he offered a tentative smile. “Hey, we’ll work it out,” he said softly. His eyes were warm and the kindness in them was almost overwhelming. Ariana nodded back wordlessly, aware of the sense of comfort washing over her as she locked eyes with him.

 

There was a pause as they held each other’s gaze for a moment before Ariana let her eyes drop down to the bed, her hands fiddling with the blanket.

 

She glanced back up as Liam opened his mouth, hesitating several times before finally speaking. “Hey, so about what I said yesterday…”

 

Ariana cocked her head in confusion as she quickly played back all of their conversations the day before. The whole day felt like a bit of a blur, from waking up alone in the empty apartment to her confrontation with Simon, to the earthquake she’d created. It was crazy to think that it had all happened in one day. She couldn’t even remember any full conversations with Liam and as she frowned up at him, she felt a little bad since whatever it was, it was probably important. “What do you mean?”

 

Liam looked mildly uncomfortable now as he stammered his way through an explanation, his own gaze now aimed intensely at the floor. “You know…about you not being my girlfriend. I didn’t mean…I mean I don’t really know what we are right now.”

 

Ariana nodded slowly, her mind whirling away as she tried to compose an answer that made sense out of her muddled thoughts. “I know. I guess a lot has happened. I don’t even know what I am, much less what we are,” she said softly as she ducked her head down to stare intently at the pattern on the blanket. “A few days ago I was just one of The Orphans and I don’t even have them anymore.” She bit her lip, blinking back the tears prickling in the back of her eyelids, willing herself not to cry right now, taking in a deep breath to compose herself.

 

Liam watched her silently for a moment, his brow crinkling slightly with concern. “Well, whatever this is, I’m here for you. I guess I just want you to know that.”

 

“I do.” Ariana nodded, a shy smile slipping up her lips and she loosened her grip on her knees a little, allowing her body to relax. “And maybe once things calm down a bit we can talk about us.” 

 

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

 

Ariana looked back up in time to lock eyes with Liam, their gazes lingering again. The moment was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell vibrating throughout the house, causing Liam to jump back slightly.

 

“Oh, that’s probably Scott and Stiles. Um, I’ll go let them in and you can get dressed.” Liam spoke in a hurry, flashing Ariana a brief awkward smile as he sprang up from the bed, swinging the door shut as he left the room. Ariana waited for a moment before moving to get dressed, listening to the sound of him bounding down the staircase as the smile lingered on her lips.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

By the time they arrived at Deaton’s vet clinic, Ariana’s stomach was in knots. Ever since Stiles had mentioned demons she’d had the sinking feeling that he could be right. Honestly her powers were a complete mystery to her and she didn’t even know where to begin with her own theories. Who was to say her powers didn’t come from something dark and terrible? Still, Liam and Scott both seemed hopeful that Deaton would be able to clue them all in even as Stiles muttered something about evil spirits.

 

“Just ignore Stiles,” Scott advised Ariana as he pulled the door open for her, offering a kind smile to her. Ariana didn’t smile back but she nodded as she passed him and entered the small clinic. The reception was empty but there were sounds of movement coming from the back room. A moment later a dark skinned man emerged from the doorway, dusting his hands off as his eyes swept over the small group.

 

“Ah, hello,” he said, nodding to Scott. His gaze fell on Ariana, one eyebrow raising a fraction as he took in her small frame. “You must be Ariana?”

 

Ariana nodded back, shifting her weight across onto one side as she folded her arms across her chest defensively, ready to be interrogated.

 

“Well hello Ariana. I’m Deaton. Come on in,” the man offered a gentle smile, which Ariana returned reluctantly, uncrossing her arms as she filed in behind Liam and followed Deaton into the back room of the clinic.

 

Stiles quickly flopped onto a small couch under the window but something seemed to halt Liam and Scott in their tracks as they both tilted their heads up, frowning slightly as if they sensed something that the others couldn’t see.

 

“Who else is here?” Liam asked suspiciously, wrinkling his nose slightly. He and Scott could apparently smell another scent in the room. The concept was a little weird to Ariana, the fact that his sense of smell was that fine tuned, but of course it was hardly the strangest thing to happen this week.

 

Deaton seemed almost amused by Liam’s concern though, smiling slightly. “Nothing to worry about, Liam. You are not the only werewolves in Beacon Hills, surely you knew that.”

 

“I know but-”

 

“It’s fine. As I said, nothing to be concerned about. Especially when we have other…matters to worry about right now,” Deaton reminded Liam delicately, his gaze flickering across to where Ariana had settled, leaning against the wall opposite Stiles.

 

Right, she was the other matter.

 

Scott went to open his mouth to question Deaton further but Ariana caught Deaton shaking his head minutely, holding a hand up to brush off Scott’s concerns. When he was satisfied that the two werewolves were letting the mystery of the other wolf go, Deaton turned to Ariana, clasping his hands together as he looked at her from across the operating table, Scott standing at the end of the table almost like a mediator between the two of them.

 

“Alright, well Scott filled me in on your situation earlier. He tells me you’ve been creating some natural disasters by accident.” Deaton’s tone was light but Ariana wasn’t stupid. She could see the mixture of concern and confusion hiding behind his eyes. He was just has clueless on her case as everyone else.

 

“Yep.” Ariana replied shortly, folding her arms. Liam moved to stand beside her and nodded to Deaton as if daring him to doubt Ariana’s answers.

 

“And you say you didn’t have any signs up until the other night? Nothing unusual?”

 

Ariana shook her head firmly, a light scoff falling from her lips. “Definitely not. I think I’d remember causing an earthquake.”

 

Deaton nodded slowly as he began to pace up and down the room. “And did anything else strange or unusual happen that night? Anything that might have triggered this?”

 

“Well my two best friends died,” Ariana said flatly, folding her arms across her chest and hugging herself tightly. Liam moved half a step closer to her, his hand brushing against her back in comfort. She leaned against him slightly, inhaling slowly as she forced herself to stay calm.

 

Liam glanced at Ariana for a moment, his eyes flicking over her to make sure she was okay. When he was satisfied that she wasn’t about to start demonstrating her abilities, he turned back to Deaton, straightening up a little. “Yeah, and then when I went to talk to her that night, Ariana got an email from The Benefactor with the next part of the list, and her name was on it. Right after it all started. Her abilities,” Liam added as an afterthought, nodding his head firmly.

 

“Yep, right there at the bottom of the list. Ariana Petrakis, worth one hundred and forty thousand dollars,” Ariana said, her voice coated in disdain. She knew it was ironic, to suddenly shift from being the hunter to the hunted, but it didn’t make it any easier to stomach.

 

“Wait, did you say Petrakis?” Deaton halted in his pacing to stare at Ariana with an odd expression, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at her.

 

“Why? Do you know that name?” Ariana took half a step backwards away from the older man. How did he know her last name? She had been asking almost every werewolf she knew for the past few months if they knew anything, and here was Deaton giving her a look of odd realisation like he knew her name all too well. 

 

Deaton’s eyes clouded over momentarily as a wave of memories swept through his mind. “Of course. I knew your parents. Alana and Stephen Petrakis.”

 

Ariana felt her eyes prickling with unshed tears at the sound of her parents’ names. It had been so long since she’d heard their names fall from someone else’s lips, especially with that sound of familiarity as Alan Deaton did. Her parents hadn’t lived in Beacon Hills, which meant that she had always struggled to find anyone with any information on them, aside from her first foster mother. Even then, her foster mother had only offered vague pieces of information that just seemed to mimic the police reports.

 

“You…you knew them? You knew my parents?” she asked Deaton, her voice slightly shaky as she spoke. Liam was hovering tentatively beside her, his eyes flickering between her and Deaton warily. He was probably waiting for her to start trembling again. Ariana ignored him though, her attention now fully set towards Deaton.

 

“Not well, but I certainly knew of them.” Deaton nodded slowly as he studied Ariana, his calm demeanour slowly shifting into one of realisation. “They lived a few towns over from here. I met them on a few occasions. I was sorry when I heard what happened. I didn’t realise that they’d left behind a daughter when they…when they passed away.”

 

“You mean when they were killed,” Ariana interrupted flatly, ignoring the way that Liam stiffened beside her, his jaw dropping slightly as he stared at her with those big blue eyes. She’d never revealed that bit of information to him, since it wasn’t exactly a cheery date topic. It had been weird enough even revealing her orphan status to him. She didn’t need to see the look of pity in his eyes increasing any further. But Ariana wasn’t too worried about his reaction right now.

 

Instead, Ariana turned her focus over at Scott, who was staring back at her with a furrowed brow. There was no sign of recognition at the mention of her parents, so it was possible that Scott didn’t actually know anything. Then again, there was every other chance that he just had a strong poker face.

 

“What do you mean killed?” Scott asked softly.

 

“I mean they were killed. Drained of blood in the middle of the woods. I’m assuming one of your werewolf friends can give you the rest of the gory details,” Ariana said sharply, turning to face Scott properly as she threw him a vaguely hostile look. She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but it was hard to stay calm, especially the longer Scott kept up his good guy act with that gentle smile. He had to be lying. He had to know something. Someone had to.

 

“What are you talking about?” Stiles asked loudly, folding his arms across his chest as he frowned at Ariana. There was no hostility in his eyes for once, just pure curiosity. “Werewolves don’t go around drinking blood. You’re thinking of vampires and they definitely don’t exist…Right?” Stiles whipped his head towards Deaton who closed his eyes and shook his head briefly.

 

“The coroner ruled it an animal attack but I’m not an idiot, Stiles. It was a werewolf. I know it was,” Ariana said stubbornly, her tone clearly indicating that she wasn’t about to debate this. She’d practically memorised the coroner’s report, the way it described how the blood had been drained from her parents bodies, the way they’d been abandoned in the woods.

 

Liam sunk back a little beside her, his shoulders sagging as he took in her sharp words. His eyes focused on the floor of the clinic as if he couldn’t bear to catch Ariana’s gaze. At least maybe he could understand her hatred of werewolves a little more now.

 

Deaton dropped his head down briefly as he furrowed his brow, gathering his own thoughts together before speaking, “I must say, I’m not too familiar with all of the details myself, but I’m sorry. Your father was a good man.”

 

“Well I wouldn’t know,” Ariana replied cooly. “So you knew my parents. Does that mean you know what I am then?” she asked, eyes widening a little with anticipation and an eagerness to skip over a discussion of her parents death, well aware of the way her hands were beginning to tremble as she held them clenched in two tight fists by her sides.

 

Deaton hesitated, clasping his hands together as he looked at her as if he was seeing her in a new light, like he was really seeing her for the first time today. Finally, he nodded slowly as he began to speak. “It appears that you and I have something in common. You come from a long line of Druids.”

 

Ariana stared at Deaton blankly. The shock was so strong that the trembling in her hands stopped almost immediately, leaving her in a state of numb confusion. Whatever she’d expected, it hadn’t been that. A druid? She hadn’t even heard the term before but everyone else was turning to stare at her with wide eyes, like they were all on the same page except her. Scott let out a heavy exhale, his eyes flickering between between her and Deaton, while Liam’s gaze was stuck on her, his big blue eyes staring at her with that same mix of fear and awe that she’d seen on his face the night before.

 

“What?” Stiles let out a surprised scoff, breaking the tense moment as he pushed himself out of his seat, arms folded as he frowned at Deaton. “Hold up a second, you’re saying she’s a druid like you? Does that mean you can make earthquakes too? Because that would have come in handy _so_ many times.”

 

Deaton shook his head slowly, his eyes not moving from Ariana as he studied her.“Not exactly, Stiles. Druids can certainly learn to manipulate the different elements of nature, but this is a little unusual.”

 

“Oh great. We couldn’t just have another druid. You had to go and be a freak druid,” Stiles said as he turned to Ariana with a glare, flinging his hands in the air in frustration.

 

Liam took a step forward, his face twisting into a defensive glare as he prepared himself to defend Ariana, but Scott quickly moved in front of him, holding a hand up to stop his beta. The two werewolves stared at each other for a moment before Liam sighed and fell back beside Ariana, folding his arms and choosing to glare at Stiles instead.

 

Ariana pointedly ignored Stiles, instead choosing to focus on Deaton as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. “Okay…A druid? What is that, like some kind of witch? Am I a witch?”

 

“Not exactly. Druid is Gaelic for ‘Wise Oak’. Many centuries ago Druids were renown philosophers, scholars and healers. Now druids act as protectors and preservers of nature. Druids keep the balance between good and evil in this world, and between supernatural and humanity. Druids, like yourself and I, have ties to the earth and we can draw upon nature in ways that other creatures and humans cannot. Liam mentioned that you have excellent skills in Chemistry?”

 

Ariana nodded wordlessly, her brain struggling to take this all in.

 

“Well I would estimate that along with your excellent brain, part of your skills in Chemistry are thanks to your druid gene, giving you a strong connection to nature and the way chemicals all work together.” Deaton raised an eyebrow at Ariana who stared back at him in confusion. It certainly explained why Chemistry came so naturally to her. After all, hadn’t she told Liam only days ago that Chemistry was just different ways of nature reacting to itself? It seemed to make so much more sense in her mind now.

 

“But I don’t get it,” she said finally, frowning up at Deaton. “Why am I just showing signs of this now? How did I just become a druid now if it’s in my blood? How does it even work?” Ariana asked, her mind barely comprehending the reality of the situation but already a little curious. As terrifying as this all sounded, it was new information and the scientific side Ariana couldn’t help asking more questions, keen to understand it all.

 

Deaton hesitated as he leaned against the bench, collecting his thoughts. “As I said, druids exist to maintain the balance in the supernatural world. But because our role is to keep the balance, we cannot overwhelm the world with our own form. When one druid dies, their spirit and the power they have taken from nature is returned to the earth and passed on to the next druid.”

 

“How does it know who to choose? Is it like eenie-meanie-minee-moe?” Stiles piped up unnecessarily from the other side of the bench.

 

“No. It’s a little more complicated than that,” Deaton silenced Stiles quickly, throwing him a stern look. “The spirit of the druid only flows through certain people, and is often inherited through blood, as with my sister and I. But it is not ‘activated’, if you will, until another druid has died, making room for them in the natural balance. If there are too many of us, we could upset the very balance we exist to maintain.”

 

“So how does the spirit thing know who to pick?” Stiles asked.

 

“Well it is typically through the bloodline, unless one druid specifically sacrifices themselves for another, but that is a rare occurrence.”

 

Ariana frowned as her brain processed it all. “Bloodline…So you mean my parents? Like when they died?”

 

“Well yes, when they died, the spirit of the druid in them should have been passed to you, but something seems to have blocked you from receiving them, or perhaps their abilities were somehow transferred to another druid instead. The abilities you possess now seem far stronger than usual though. Almost like-” Deaton cut off, his brows furrowing suddenly.

 

Beside him, Scott was also frowning, deep in thought. “Wait…Deaton, you’re saying that when a druid dies, their powers are passed on to the next druid waiting…But Ariana’s parents died when she was a baby. What if she got her abilities from another druid?”

 

“Well, that is certainly possible. After all, it isn’t exclusively passed on through bloodlines,” Deaton replied, his furrowed brow unmoving. “But that still doesn’t explain the strength of Ariana’s abilities already. She is far stronger than a new druid should be…”

 

"So if it wasn't her parents...And it was another druid..." Scott broke off, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. He glanced over at Stiles who was apparently still struggling to get his head around Ariana being a druid at all. The two boys exchanged a glance and a frown began to appear on Stiles's face. Ariana watched in confusion at the look of dawning horror rising in both their eyes, like Scott and Stiles were experiencing the same awful realisation, something that did nothing to calm Ariana's rising anxiety.

 

“Jennifer Blake,” Stiles breathed out finally.


	15. Grudges

A thick silence sunk into the small clinic as Ariana stared at everyone, her brow furrowed in confusion. The weight of this ‘Jennifer’ seemed to hang over Scott and Stiles particularly, and she narrowed her eyes as she studied the two of them. Suddenly they both looked like they were experiencing the same flashback to a darker time in their lives.

 

“Wait, who is Jennifer and what does she have to do with me?” Ariana asked finally.

 

But Scott was already turning to look at Deaton, barely acknowledging Ariana’s question. “Okay, so what if a druid goes dark? What happens to their powers?”

 

Deaton was nodding along already, his mind clearly on the same wavelength as Scott. “If a particularly powerful druid like a Darach dies, there is the possibility that when their powers are transferred, the new druid may inherit a stronger tie to the darkness. They may find themselves with powers stronger than they anticipated.”

 

Ariana’s frown increased even further as she felt a headache brewing in her head, this overload of new and bizarre information hurting her brain. “A darach?” she asked, turning to Liam who was too busy frowning over at Deaton to notice.

 

Giving a small huff of irritation, Ariana turned her own attention back to the vet who had resumed his pacing now. “Excuse me? What is a Darach? You said I was a druid.” She raised her tone slightly to grab Deaton’s attention, pursing her lips as he turned to look at her.

 

“Sometimes a Druid may go down the wrong path, taking too much power from the earth…” Deaton explained to Ariana, his calm demeanour cracking slightly as something akin to fear slipped into his voice.“This can cause a darkness to overtake them. If a druid uses their powers for evil, manipulating the earth for their own benefit, they are known as a Darach, which roughly translates to ‘dark oak’ in Gaelic.”

 

“Okay, but what does that have to do with me?” Ariana asked, frustration seeping into her tone. “I haven’t used my powers for evil. I don’t even know how to use them at all. It’s all just been by accident.”

 

“Well, the last known druid to die around here was Jennifer Blake, who became a Darach and made a string of blood sacrifices several months ago. She died on the Nemeton, a sacred tree to druids,” Deaton explained, although he was still using words that held no meaning to Ariana. Passed on everyone else’s reactions though, this clearly wasn’t great news. Whatever a Nemeton tree was, she didn’t exactly like the sound of it.

 

Deaton continued, his voice grave. “Jennifer’s blood possibly created her final sacrifice, channeling her powers straight back into the Nemeton until the next Druid was ready. It appears that her energy may have been passed along to you when she died.”

 

Ariana ran a hand through her long hair as she tried to process the overload of information. “So…you’re saying I’m evil because some evil lady-”

 

“Hold up,” Stiles cut off Ariana, shifting forwards in his chair to narrow his eyes at Deaton. “Why did she only get Jennifer’s powers now then? Jennifer has been dead for months.”

 

“Well yes, it does seem like odd timing,” Deaton said, clasping his hands together as he turned to face Stiles, “But it is possible that when she died, her powers were temporarily held by the Nemeton somehow until they were finally passed onto Ariana. This would explain why her abilities seem so strong, although I can’t quite explain what caused the delay. If anything, she should have received the spirit of the druid when her parents died. It’s almost like something has been preventing Ariana from realising her abilities until now. Something is not right…”

 

Stiles flung himself back into his chair with a huff. “Great. Just great.” His irritation seemed a little rude considering he wasn’t the one who was being told they got powers from some evil lady.

 

Ariana opened her mouth to interrogate Deaton further, but this time she was swiftly cut off by Liam. “So does that mean Ariana is going to become a Darach too?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest anxiously.

 

Deaton clasped his hands together calmly as he shook head at Liam, his eyes not even drifting towards Ariana. It was like she’d suddenly become invisible. Well it wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen given her current circumstances. Ariana glanced down at herself, suddenly terrified that her powers included accidental invisibility, but as far as she could tell she was still visible. She was just being overlooked by everyone in their excitement, which somehow felt worse.

 

“Not necessarily,” Deaton assured Liam. “It just means that she may have received the dark energy Jennifer harnessed when she committed the sacrifices, but it can be controlled. We just need to return the energy to nature and restore the balance again.”

 

Ariana tilted her head slightly, curiosity momentarily overshadowing her irritation. “But how do I-”

 

“Is that possible?” Scott asked, cutting Ariana off again and causing her to let out another huff of irritation. The werewolf rested one hand on the bench as he tucked his other hand into the pocket of his jeans, his eyes trained on Deaton curiously. Ariana glanced back at Deaton with a frown, noticing the way he seemed to be looking between Stiles and Scott without even glancing her way. As fascinating as it was to learn this new information, it was becoming inherently clear that she wasn’t really part of this conversation at all.

 

“Of course it is. We just need to work out how much of that energy Ariana has inherited so we can see just how much darkness she inherited.”

 

“Well when any of you figure it out, feel free to inform me,” Ariana said bitingly, leaning against the wall as she folded her arms across her chest tightly, officially fed up now.

 

Stiles raised an arrogant eyebrow at her. “I’m sorry, are we boring you?” he asked, cocking his head.

 

“Not at all,but you’re all talking about me like I’m not here and it’s not exactly a pleasant conversation either. It’s not fun being called evil when I didn’t even want any of this,” Ariana shot at Stiles, glaring at him.

 

Stiles bristled slightly, matching her glare as Scott and Liam let out a joint sigh of frustration. “Got somewhere better to be? Someone else’s murder to plan?” Stiles asked, his tone slightly accusatory.

 

“Nope, just yours,” Ariana smirked at Stiles, enjoying the way his jaw dropped in offence. He opened his mouth to protest but he was cut off by Scott’s hand slamming down on the bench in frustration.

 

“Stiles!” Scott said, giving Stiles a look which by some miracle managed to silence him. “Ariana, I’m sorry. We’re all just trying to work out what happened. Just try and bear with us. This must be a lot to take in but-”

 

“You’re right, it is,” Ariana cut Scott off for a change, jutting her chin forward as Scott’s expression shifted into one of surprise. “But sitting around talking about how I’m going to go evil is not helping. I don’t need this right now,” Ariana announced, pushing herself off the wall. “I’m done.” Brushing off Liam’s attempt to reach out to stop her, she stormed out, pausing only to give Stiles one last withering glare before she swung around the corner.

 

Ariana was halfway out the doors of the clinic when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she felt half a smile tug onto her lips as she spotted Lucas’s name on the screen.

 

“Lucas, hey what’s up?” She asked, letting the clinic’s doors swing shut as she leaned against the brick wall outside. Any minute Liam was probably going to rush out to stop her and while half of her wanted him to, the other half of her was too annoyed to face him right now. He’d been just as bad as the others inside, too busy focusing on his alpha to even notice Ariana slowly fuming beside him.

 

“Ari, how’re you holding up?” Lucas always had such a calming voice and it instantly washed away some of the tension in Ariana’s body, her shoulders slowly dropping from their tense position as she released a slow breath.

 

“I’m fine.” Ariana said, forcing her voice into a relatively upbeat tone, or as much as she could summon up as she focused on calming herself down, forcing the last few minutes inside the clinic out of her mind.

 

“Any word from Violet?”

 

Well that didn’t help ease her mind at all. “Nope,” she said quickly, pushing any memory of Violet away before she began to spiral again. She didn’t need this right now, especially when Lucas clearly still assumed Violet was just hiding from the police, instead of lying dead in a cold warehouse.

 

Lucas clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Man, I hope you do soon. Oh, by the way, have you heard from Genevieve lately?”

 

Ariana frowned, thrown by the swift change in topics, although she was definitely grateful to move away from any talk of Violet. “Genevieve who?”

 

“How many Genevieves do we both know?” Lucas asked, a hint of sarcasm slipping into his tone. Ariana could practically see him rolling his eyes right now. “Genevieve Carey obviously. She hasn’t been answering her phone the last few days.”

 

“No, why would I? And why are are you calling her?” Ariana asked, a hint of accusation seeping into her tone.

 

“Because I’m not a fifteen year old girl holding a five year grudge,” Lucas said smoothly.

 

Ariana let out an irritated huff at that remark. “I’m not holding a grudge! And anyway, she’s the one who stopped talking to me.”

 

“Yeah, and I wonder why?” There was a lilt of teasing in Lucas’s voice, which only frustrated Ariana further. She hadn’t done anything wrong and she didn’t need Lucas adding anything else onto her growing pile of guilt.

 

“Lucas, I really don’t need friendship advice from you right now. She feels the way she feels and I can’t change that. End of topic. Now is that all?” Ariana asked, a slight edge to her voice now.

 

“Yeah that’s it,” Lucas said reluctantly. “If you see Gen just tell her to give me a call. Or tell someone else to tell her for you if you have to.”

 

Ariana rolled her eyes as she said goodbye and hung up the phone, shoving it back in her pocket just as Scott burst out from the clinic, eyes already scanning down the road for her. He let out a sigh of relief as he spotted her leaning against the bricks, running a hand through his dark hair as he walked over to her.

 

“Hey Ari, you doing okay? Look, I’m sorry about before. I know it’s a lot to take in. But we’re all working this out too. And we want to work it out together. That includes you. I don’t want you feeling like we’re all against you,” Scott said, his hands folded together in front of him.

 

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” Ariana shrugged off his concern quickly, pulling her face into a reasonably calm expression.

 

Scott smiled and nodded his head, clearly relieved to avoid another confrontation. “Alright, cool. As long as we’re good. Now we need just to make another stop, if that’s okay with you?”

 

“What? Where?” Ariana frowned, instantly wary. She’d already had enough of being interrogated and talked about. All Ariana wanted to do right now was take a good long nap, but that seemed unlikely judging from Scott’s expression.

 

“Well…You worked for the Benefactor and we’re trying to find whoever it is, so I’d say you have some valuable information that my friend will probably want to hear,” Scott said tentatively.

 

More interrogating. Perfect. But judging by Scott’s grim expression, saying no probably wasn’t an option. Well at least he had the decency to ask. Nodding sullenly, Ariana followed Scott back to Stiles’s jeep where Stiles and Liam were already waiting. Stiles was drumming his hands impatiently on the steering wheel while Liam sat hunched up in the backseat, clearly feeling bad about ignoring Ariana earlier. He watched as she climbed into the seat next to him, his face already pulled into a sorrowful expression.

 

“Hey, I’m really sorry about before,” Liam said as the car pulled off. He glanced at the front seat where Scott and Stiles were having their own conversation. Satisfied that they weren’t listening, Liam leaned a little closer to Ariana. “I know this is a lot, and I know you’re going through a lot. I just want you to know I don’t think you’re evil. I’m on your side,” he added, the corners of his lips tilting up into a hopeful smile.

 

Ariana hesitated, ducking her eyes down for a moment as a ghost of a smile shadowing her lips. “I know,” she said finally, letting her hand fall from her lap until her fingers brushed against his lightly.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“What are we doing here? Who is this mysterious friend?” Ariana asked for the fifth time as she followed Liam up the stairs to a dark loft. Everyone had been very vague in the car. Apparently they hadn’t learned from her outburst at the clinic but she really didn’t like secrets. Stiles only shushed her, swatting a hand in her direction as he pushed in front of Scott to knock sharply on the large industrial door.

 

“What do you want?”

 

Ariana stared up as the door slid open to reveal a gruff man glaring down at her and the others, his eyes giving a look of mixed irritation and familiarity. He was tall with a very scruffy but dark beard, matching his dark eyes and making him appear a little intimidating.

 

“Derek, we need to talk,” Scott said, suddenly a little hesitant as he hovered in front of Ariana almost protectively. His posture remained relaxed through, hands casually shoved into his dark jeans. He clearly wasn’t threatened or worried about the gruff expression on the man opposite him. Instead, he stepped closer to the gruff man, tilting his head towards Ariana to draw the man’s eye towards her. “Derek, this Ariana. Ariana, this is Derek.”

 

“Derek Hale,” Ariana said, the realisation washing over her suddenly. So this was the face of the third cypher key. What was so special about him though? What was he? Ariana was fairly sure Garrett hadn’t mentioned Derek in his little run down of Scott’s pack. Ariana looked Derek up and down, her curiosity overtaking any fear and uncertainty. He seemed to notice, frowning back at her as he stepped back to let the small group enter his loft.

 

“And how do you know that?” Another voice piped up from across the room. Ariana’s eyes snapped over to the source of the voice and her eyes narrowed as she spotted a woman lounging across the couch against the window. The lady was tall, judging from her long legs, and dark skinned with chocolate brown hair sweeping over her shoulders. She looked equally intimidating, if not more so than Derek, as she shifted in her seat to look at Ariana. Her eyes were calculating, like she was sizing Ariana up as a possible threat.

 

“And that’s Braeden,” Scott added, nodding towards Braeden without offering any further explanation. Braeden raised one eyebrow as if in greeting, pursing her lips as she continued to look at at Ariana.

 

“So who are you again?” Derek asked, sizing Ariana up. He seemed rather unimpressed by her, given his expression and Ariana was tempted to squirm a little under his gaze, but she stood her ground, ignoring the way Liam hovered defensively behind her.

 

“I’m Ariana. And apparently I’m worth a bit of money.” Ariana allowed a hint of a smirk to slip onto her lips as Derek’s eyebrows raised slightly.

 

“Well okay you’re only worth a few thousand, so calm down. Scotty here is worth twenty five million,” Stiles interrupted, hoisting himself onto a stool at the table near the window. Scott was leaning against the table now and he threw Stiles a look that roughly translated to ‘please stop talking’.

 

“How did she find out about the Deadpool?” Derek asked, directing the question to Scott. He seemed to be essentially ignoring the rest of the group except for Scott and Ariana right now. His arms were folded across his chest, and he kept his stance firm, his presence taking up half of the room without him needing to move. It was definitely a little intimidating although Ariana couldn’t help appreciate it. There was something oddly comforting about his demeanour, as if he was somehow radiating a sense of calmness.

 

“Well that’s what we’re here about actually…” Scott glanced over at Ariana with a brief uncertain expression. Before he could obviously work out a way to explain her involvement in the list, Stiles decided to speak, clearly a little too excited about his revelation.

 

“Funny story, she’s actually an assassin. Super deadly and very murderous. You probably heard of her little assassin group, The Orphans. They tried to kill Scott.” Stiles offered a sarcastic smirk, nodding his head towards Ariana.

 

“Thanks Stiles,” Liam muttered under his breath, glancing at Ariana apologetically as he moved to stand beside her, arms folded across his chest. He was clearly a little uneasy around Derek, judging from his posture, but as Ariana brushed her shoulders with his, she felt him relax a little.

 

“The Orphans?” Braeden perked her head up suddenly, her eyes trained on Ariana with a new expression, this one less calculating and more in awe. “Hold on, you’re one of The Orphans?” The way she said it suggested she was definitely familiar with Ariana’s work, and was possibly even a little excited by the information.

 

“You know them?” Stiles asked, scepticism strong in his tone.

 

Braeden raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at Stiles. “I’m a mercenary, Stiles. And so is your little friend here. In fact she’s probably one of the best in California.”

 

Ariana felt her shoulders straightening up a little at the unexpected compliment. “You’ve heard of me?” she asked curiously. Of course she knew that her little team of assassins were well known. That was how they’d been told about the deadpool in the first place. They’d gained themselves a reputation fairly quickly in the last year, the three of them putting several more experienced assassins out of a job. It wasn’t really surprising to meet a mercenary who was familiar with her work. Still, it was flattering to find someone who seemed genuinely impressed, instead of vaguely terrified like Liam, or irritated like Stiles.

 

“Of course I have! You and your friends are quite the ruthless trio.” Braeden sunk back into the couch with a smirk. “Let me guess…” she hesitated as she eyed Ariana up and down, “I’ve heard a lot about you all. There’s the brawn, you’re clearly not him. And there’s the girl with the necklace…No, that’s not you either…You’re…” Braden’s eyes widened in realisation. “Oh, you’re the scientist right? The one behind those deadly poisons? Bloody conscience but clean hands?” It looked like Ariana’s self given tagline had spread beyond her friends after all.

 

Ariana glanced down, the gruesome image of her hands pushing Garrett’s bloodied dagger into Violet’s chest suddenly flashing into her mind. “Used to be,” she said softly.

 

Braeden nodded in understanding, kindly not pushing the comment any further. “You’re shorter than I expected. So where are your friends?” she asked,

 

“Kate’s berserkers,” Scott spoke up before Ariana could arrange her thoughts into an explanation that didn’t involve a breakdown.

 

Braeden studied Ariana for a moment, her eyes softening a little. “I’m sorry,” she offered up, giving a small nod.

 

“Thanks,” Ariana said softly, nodding her head in gratitude. It was small, but it was nice to have someone accept her grief for her friends, despite what they had done.

 

There was a brief silence as everyone else stared at the two assassins in the room. Finally Stiles let out a loud irritated sigh. “Well I’m _so_ glad the two most dangerous people in the room are getting along.”

 

“We’re the most dangerous? You do remember you’re in a room with several werewolves,” Braeden noted drily, nodding towards Derek, Scott and Liam. Derek shot her a pointed look, giving a slight shake of his head. Well that explained what Derek was then.

 

Stiles wasn’t perturbed though, his eyes now trained on Ariana. “I stand by what I said.” Turning his gaze back to Braeden, he raised his eyebrow. “You are a mercenary and I still don’t trust you. And you-” he turned his gaze back to Ariana, glaring, “-are a walking natural disaster.”

 

“What is he talking about?” Derek asked finally, pointedly turning his back on Stiles and frowning sullenly at Scott.

 

Scott took a deep breath, nodding slowly as he glanced over at Ariana, before turning back to Derek to answer him. “Well, that’s why we’re here. Ariana appeared on the Deadpool after she started showing abilities. According to Deaton…she’s a Druid.”

 

There was another brief silence as Derek and Braden both stared at Ariana, clearly surprised by that revelation.

 

“Hold up…Deaton is a druid and he isn’t on the list,” Derek said slowly,

 

“Well Ariana’s powers are a little stronger,” Scott said with a helpless shrug. That was about the only explanation they had right now, as frustrating as it was for Ariana, but at least it seemed to frustrate Scott too.

 

Stiles leaned forward in his chair, bouncing a little with excitement as he chimed in. “Yep, apparently she got her druid powers from the last druid who died in Beacon Hills…Ring a bell?”

 

“Jennifer,” Derek said through his teeth, eyes now boring a hole in the wall behind Ariana. There was clearly history there, but Ariana sensed it wasn’t something she probably wanted to push. She watched the brooding werewolf ran a hand over his face as he slowly moved to join Braden on the couch.

 

“Yeah. We don’t know what it all means yet, but Deaton is looking into it,” Scott said hopefully, nodding his head as if to assure himself as well as everyone else in the room. “Anyway, we came because we need to talk about the Benefactor. We need to find out who it is and we need to end this before anyone comes for us.”

 

Braden shifted a little in her seat curiously. “How are we going to do that? We still have barely any information on them. We don’t know who the Benefactor is, what their motive is, or how they broke into the Hale vault.”

 

“That’s why we brought Ariana,” Scott explained, nodding his head towards Ariana, an encouraging smile slipping up his lips. 

 

Ariana pursed her lips, folding her arms across her chest defensively as she mentally prepared for the inevitable interrogation to come. “Well I doubt I’ll be much help. I know about as much as you,” she said dully.

 

“I doubt that,” Stiles cut in. “You’ve been receiving payments from The Benefactor for weeks now. Payments of money that was actually stolen from Derek and his family, by the way so you should probably return that.”

 

“I didn’t steal anything,” Ariana retorted sharply.

 

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Did you get paid by the Benefactor?”

 

She jutted her chin forward a little, narrowing her eyes at Stiles. “Yes.”

 

“Well they stole it from Derek. Therefore you have stolen money.” Stiles threw his hands up, clearly assuming he’d won this argument, even though he was still very much wrong. 

 

“I didn’t steal it from anyone. I earned that money,” Ariana stated coolly.

 

“Yeah. From _murdering_ people,” Stiles shot back. Ariana didn’t miss the way Liam shifted his weight uncomfortably next to her, but she ignored it, choosing to keep her cold glare trained on Stiles.

 

“I did what I had to do to make a living. If you’re just going to sit there and judge me for trying to survive, then I’m out.” Throwing her hands up in a final gesture, Ariana turned to storm out, officially done with this entire day. First she’d been called evil for getting powers she hadn’t asked for, and now she was being accused of theft for money she had earned.

 

Sure, her methods weren’t ethical, but Stiles had no idea what she’d been through. He had no idea how desperate she had been for that money, how dangerous her living circumstances had been before all of this. Without that money, however questionable its source was, Ariana honestly didn’t know where she would be. She’d probably be in trapped in another foster home, equally as abusive as the last few she’d suffered through. Ariana had done what she had to in order to survive and being questioned was the last thing she needed today.

 

“Now hang on, we’re not judging anyone,” Scott moved quickly, probably using his werewolf speed, and he suddenly appeared at the doorway, blocking Ariana’s path, his hands held out to stop her although thankfully he stopped short of actually grabbing her.

 

Ariana threw him a look of disdain. “Right, you’ll just judge me as soon as I give you the information you need. Totally fine.”

 

“No judging. We can discuss the issue of Derek’s money later. Right now I just want to stop the Benefactor before they send anyone else for us. You’re in danger too now. Someone could come for you. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Scott’s eyes were kind, and as much as it hurt to look at him and remember what had happened because of him, Ariana couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to trust him. That had to mean something.

 

Finally, Ariana nodded silently, taking a deep breath as she turned on her heels and moved over to where Liam was hovering near couch now, his expression a little apprehensive now that he’d had another reminder of Ariana’s past. Scott smiled slightly as he moved to sit on the other side of Derek and looked up at Ariana with a nod of encouragement.

 

“So what do you know? How did you start working for the Benefactor?” Braeden asked after a moment. She was clearly curious, leaning forward slightly in her seat, while Derek stayed sitting back, watching Ariana silently. 

 

Ariana paused for a moment, her mind sifting through the memories of the last few weeks. It had all happened so quickly that it felt like a bit of a blur. “Well, the Benefactor reached out to us. Garrett found the first cassette tape in our letterbox with a letter saying we’d been chosen to help. Then we got an email with the link to the list. Garrett did most of the communicating. I just made the poisons,” Ariana explained, shrugging her shoulders. She tried to ignore the vague look of betrayal growing on Liam’s face and the way it hurt her more than she anticipated.

 

“Who was the email from?” Braeden asked, nodding for Ariana to continue.

 

“I don’t know. It was from an anonymous email account sent on an encrypted server,” Ariana answered, her hands slowly twisting in front of her as she spoke. It felt odd to be talking about all of this, especially without Garrett to help her vague explanations. He’d known a lot more about the process than her and Violet.

 

“And didn’t you ever wonder who was behind all of this?” Scott leaned forward beside Derek, his brow furrowed in concern.

 

“Not really. We didn’t really care. We’re - we _were_ assassins,” Ariana corrected herself quickly. “When you’re an assassin you don’t really ask a lot of questions. We just did the job and got paid. That’s it.”

 

“So how did it all work? How did you get paid?” Scott asked.

 

Ariana frowned as she thought back, trying to remember how Garrett had processed everything. “It was all through a wire transfer. As soon as we sent a photo confirming that someone on the list was dead, the money was transferred through a non-traceable account.”

 

Scott was frowning now, his eyes boring a hole into the coffee table in front of him. “Hang on, you said you had to send a photo…Why?” he asked, glancing back up at Ariana intently.

 

“Visual confirmation,” Ariana answered simply, offering another shrug. “They had to know we were doing our job properly. It’s a pretty standard requirement…” Ariana trailed off, reluctant to acknowledge her rather extensive history with assassin work, especially with Liam looking queasier by the minute.

 

Scott didn’t seem bothered by the small assassin’s past though, instead he was already straightening up slightly like he was having an idea. “Visual confirmation. Okay…I think I have an idea. And I think I know who can help.”

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“Is three enough?” Kira asked, her hands hovering over her laptop uncertainly. She’d seemed apprehensive about the plan ever since she’d arrived at Scott’s house where they’d all met up again. Ariana didn’t blame her. It was a crazy idea, but Scott seemed determined that it would work.

 

“Depends on how many cameras they have, but I think so,” Stiles replied, his hands resting on his hips as he stared down at the laptops on the table before them.

 

“Wow, I’m so glad you’ve thought this through,” Ariana said, half under her breath but still loud enough to earn a withering look from Stiles.

 

Liam glanced at her uncertainly, his brows crinkling. “Are we really doing this?” he asked, pulling his gaze from hers to look around at the others.

 

“We’re doing it. Tonight.” Scott’s voice was firm. It had been decided, as absurd and dangerous as this plan seemed, clearly he was determined to see it through. Ariana had to admire that at least.

 

Liam tapped the table in front of him nervously, clearly picking up the nervous habit from Stiles. “But isn’t it kind of dangerous?”

 

“Yeah, it’s incredibly dangerous, and borderline idiotic,” Stiles remarked helpfully, grinning at Liam and Ariana who rolled her eyes in response.

 

“Have you guys done something like this before?” Liam asked the others, his blue eyes full of doubt.

 

Scott raised an eyebrow. “Something dangerous or something idiotic?”

 

Ariana glanced between Scott and Stiles, watching the way they locked eyes, another mysterious and wordless conversation occurring right in front of her.

 

“I think it’s yes to both,” Kira replied, her eyes wide. Ariana nodded silently, aware that she’d engaged in activities equally dangerous already with Violet and Garrett. She’d spent the better part of a year plotting and aiding in assassinations, most which weren’t exactly smooth sailing. Still, now didn’t feel like a good time to bring that up.

 

Scott turned to look at Liam and Ariana, studying them both for a moment. “You don’t have to be a part of this if you don’t want to,” he said gently. He was clearly offering them an out, letting them walk away from this plan before they were in too deep.

 

“I’m not scared,” Liam said, unsurprisingly, although the look in his eyes suggested something different, but he was determined to help.

 

Stiles winked at Liam, patting him on the shoulder. “Well then you’re borderline idiotic,” he offered unhelpfully.

 

“I’m not scared either,” Ariana chimed in, turning her head to offer Liam a supportive smile.He reached out, squeezing her hand gently in response.

 

“Okay actually yes, let’s talk about this.” Stiles clapped his hands together, giving a mild glare to Ariana before turning to face Scott. “You seriously want to trust _her_ with this? We’re planning to temporarily kill you and I’m sure she’s already scheming ways to make it permanent.”

 

Well that was rude. Ariana let her jaw drop slightly as she let out a scoff. “The only thing I’m scheming right now is how to find the Benefactor. I want to get rid of them just as bad as you do.”

 

Stiles raised a doubtful eyebrow. “Oh really?”

 

“Yes. I’m one of the best assassins in California and now my name is on a hit list. I’m sure there are plenty of people more than willing to take me down.” Ariana folded her arms and raised one eyebrow up at Stiles, stubbornness radiating off of her body.

 

“I trust her,” Liam said, mimicking Ariana’s pose, folding his arms defiantly as he looked over at Scott, daring him to disagree. Ariana bit back a smile. Liam was clearly doing his best to support Ariana as much as possible, and she certainly appreciated it. Having him on her side took a little of the weight off her shoulders.

 

Scott glanced between the two of them before turning to look at Kira, eyebrows raised in question. They exchanged a meaningful look, before Scott finally sighed and nodded his head. “We trust you too, Ariana.”

 

“I don’t,” Stiles said, very matter of fact.

 

“Well I do. We need all the help we can get and Ariana knows how to communicate with the Benefactor. We need her,” Scott said to Stiles, shrugging his shoulders in a way that suggested he was done arguing over the issue.

 

Stiles let out a reluctant huff and dropped his head down for a moment, thinking. Finally he lifted his head, drumming his fingers on the laptop in front of him. “Fine. If you’re willing to risk it. But if we do this we don’t know what’s coming for us, you know that right?” His voice took a more grave tone now, his expression turning serious as he looked at Scott.

 

“How do we even know something’s definitely coming?” Kira asked, fidgeting with the edge of the laptop as she spoke, her hands reflecting the anxiety in her tone.

 

Ariana unfolded her arms and clasped her hands together as she looked up at Kira. “It’s like I said. The only way to get payment is visual confirmation. Whenever we…well whenever we killed someone, Garrett always had to send a photo to prove the person is dead.”

 

“So the question is, what if you kill someone on the deadpool but you can’t send proof?” Scott asked, raising an eyebrow to Ariana as he offered her a small nod.

 

“Well, you don’t get paid. Like I said. No proof - no money,” Ariana said back, shrugging.

 

Liam was not fully on board with the plan yet though, his eyes staring down at the laptops doubtfully. “Okay…but does that get us any closer to the Benefactor?”

 

“He still needs to know if the target is really dead,” Scott said, staring at the laptops. Ariana nodded in agreement, wringing her hands slightly as her mind whirled through the plan.

 

“Especially if it’s someone high on the list,” Stiles added, his expression turning a little solemn. Well thankfully that ruled Ariana out nicely.

 

“So if he wants visual confirmation…” Liam trailed off, glancing from Ariana to Scott, understanding dawning on his face.

 

Scott nodded, his eyes suddenly determined. “He’s going to have to come get it himself.”

 

Ariana nodded along with the others, pushing back the nerves that had suddenly kicked in. She just had to hope that whoever came to collect the target would be too focused on Scott to even worry about taking her down too.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

“Are you guys totally sure about this?” Liam asked for the third time, pacing up and down Scott’s bedroom anxiously. He’d been pacing ever since Kira’s mother had showed up, seemingly cementing the reality of their plan. Ariana watched him from the seat in the corner of the room, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The more Liam paced, the more Ariana could feel her own anxiety rising. She’d been a part of plenty of schemes before, all incredibly dangerous, but none of them had included temporarily killing someone. Well, the temporary part was certainly new to her.

 

Kira glanced over at Ariana, locking eyes with her briefly. It seemed like Ariana wasn’t the only one getting stressed by Liam’s pacing. “I think Liam’s kind of nervous. Maybe you should tell him it’s going to be alright,” Kira said finally, glancing back at Scott with a meaningful look.

 

Scott smiled, seeming far more calm than the situation required. “It’s going to be alright.”

 

“So…you’ve done this before, right?” Liam asked, briefly halting in his pacing to look at Mrs Yukimura. Ariana had tried not to look at her for most of the evening so far. Something about her seemed even more intimidating than most of the men Ariana had been ordered to assassinate in the last year. Mrs Yukimura hadn’t really paid her much attention so far and hopefully by hiding in the chair in the corner, Ariana could keep it that way.

 

“I’ve seen it done,” Mrs Yukimura answered Liam, her tone vaguely ominous.

 

Liam glanced at Ariana who only shrugged back. Finally he looked back at the older woman hopefully. “Is that just as good?”

 

She stared at him for a moment before answering. “No.”

 

Well that was helpful. Ariana reached out a hand towards Liam as he paced close to her. He allowed half a smile, reaching back and letting her squeeze his hand in comfort.

 

“Mum, you’re not inspiring confidence,” Kira complained, giving her mother a pointed look.

 

Mrs Yukimura did not seem fazed, staring right back. “Good. This is a terrible idea.”

 

“Do you want us to do this without you?” Kira asked, defiance in her voice. Ariana was a little impressed. After all, Kira didn’t really seem like the assertive type, but then again she was clearly tougher than she looked if she was willing to bring her boyfriend close to death.

 

“Put your hand over his heart,” Mrs Yukimura instructed her daughter, nodding as Kira tentatively reached a hand out towards Scott.

 

Ariana held her own breath as Kira’s hand slowly came to rest on Scott’s chest. Right before she could begin doing whatever exactly she needed to do, Scott reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, causing Liam to jump slightly from beside Ariana.

 

“Hold on, what happens while I’m out? Am I going to feel anything?” Scott asked, turning to look up at Mrs Yukimura. Ariana was vaguely surprised that he hadn’t already asked this earlier, but then again this entire plan had been thrown together quite quickly.

 

Mrs Yukimura hesitated before answering. “It might feel like you’re dreaming.”

 

Scott frowned. “Good dreams or bad?”

 

“I suppose that depends on you.”

 

Ariana pursed her lips, curiosity sparking slightly inside her mind as she watched Scott’s expression fall slightly. What was he so worried about? What nightmares were lurking in his mind? Did he feel the weight of her two friends bodies on his shoulders? Did he feel guilty? After all, he was yet to even mention anything about that night, aside from telling Braden about Kate’s berserkers. Nothing to Ariana though. Not even a brief apology, or any acknowledgement of her grief. The thought put a bitter taste in Ariana’s mouth and she bit her lip, staring hard at the carpet as Kira moved forward again, ready to put the plan into motion.

 

Anxiously, Ariana watched as Kira sent electric volts through Scott’s body. She winced slightly as Scott let out a roar, his entire body shuddering and convulsing against Kira’s hand until finally there was silence.

 

He was dead. Or at least close enough to death to fool the Benefactor.

 

“Okay, now we call the hospital. We don’t have a lot of time,” Kira said finally, her eyes locked on Scott’s body. “Let’s go.” Clearly not wanting to look at her boyfriend’s dead body any longer, she hurried out of the room, her cell phone already in her hand as her mother followed half a step behind. Ariana slowly climbed out of her chair, watching as Liam hovered in the doorway with an anxious expression before he finally walked out, hands clenched into two tight fists.

 

Ariana hesitated though, taking a moment to glance back at Scott's body. Although Ariana knew this plan was only temporary, there was an odd part of her that felt some sort of satisfaction in seeing Scott like this. It was a horrible thought of course, especially after how much Scott had tried to help her over the last few days. But still, she couldn't shake the image of Garrett's body on the black road, bleeding out while Scott drove away. And she couldn't quite shake Kate's words that night. _'Scott McCall wants Violet and I want Scott McCall.'_ Ariana had lost everyone she loved because of him. That wasn't something she could brush off easily.

 

Taking one more look at the body, Ariana inhaled slowly before turning away and hurried back downstairs to join the others, doing her best to push Kate's words to the back of her mind.


	16. Trigger

“Alright, he’s just down here…” Stiles trailed off as he led Ariana down the steep stairs and into a dimly lit basement where lights were flickering ominously.

 

“This isn’t the part where you tie me up and keep me hostage is it?” Ariana asked warily, clutching the rail anxiously as she eased each foot down the creaking staircase. She’d been following Stiles without question, well with only a few questions, but now she was starting to feel a little apprehensive. The reality of their situation and their absurd plan was starting to sink in finally now that they were actually at the hospital with paramedics attempting to revive Scott somewhere down the hall.

 

Kira had promised everything would be fine as she rushed off with Liam to place several cameras around the hospital, but Ariana couldn’t help the uneasy feeling in her stomach. What if this was all just a big set up for Ariana? What if it was just a test to see where exactly her loyalties really lay?

 

Thankfully Stiles only let out a light scoff in response, shaking his head as he indicated with one hand for Ariana to keep following him. She did, half reluctantly, but she stopped again as her eyes caught someone moving in the darkness below. Stiles was undeterred, moving towards the source with a eager wave.

 

“Hey! We’re definitely not running late and if we are it’s because you are terrible at giving directions and not because of me,” he quipped as he jogged forwards, ignoring Ariana as she tentatively followed behind.

 

As she moved closer into the darkness, her eyes began to adjust and finally she could make out the person in front of her, a man giving Stiles a look of mild irritation.

 

Ariana frowned suspiciously up at the man, suddenly aware that she had no idea who he was or how much he knew about her. Sizing him up, Ariana took in his appearance slowly, processing it all. He had a scruffy beard and his eyes held a lot of weight in them, like he was carrying the world on his shoulders.

 

Something in his face reminded Ariana of herself the night she’d come home from losing her two best friends, the way the light had dimmed in her eyes as she washed Violet’s blood of her hands. The man in front of her had a similar expression lingering on his face, like he’d lost someone too. Ariana pursed her lips, pushing her own dark memories out of her mind as she watched the man taking her appearance in too.

 

“Ariana, this is Chris Argent. Argent, this is Ariana. She’s a former assassin so you two will probably get along just fine,” Stiles said, his head jerking back in premeditated annoyance, as if the two of them had already become best friends without his approval.

 

“You look a little young to be a killer…” Argent slowly looked Ariana up and down, suspicion in his eyes as he took her in. Suddenly his eyes widened slightly in recognition. “You’re one of The Orphans.”

 

“Last one left,” Ariana said quietly. “And you’re an Argent. A hunter.” Ariana knew the Argents of course. She was painfully familiar with Kate Argent but her knowledge of the Argent clan went much farther back than that. Ever since Lucas had revealed the existence of werewolves to an eleven year old Ariana, she’d been determined to know as much as possible, to uncover the full truth. That had led her straight to the biggest hunting family in Beacon Hills. Ariana was vaguely surprised that she hadn’t run into any Argents taking down wolves from the list yet, but she’d assumed they were off taking down other targets.

 

“I was. I don’t hunt so much anymore,” was all Argent offered, but there was clearly some deeper meaning to that judging by the solemn look in his eyes. Ariana nodded back.

 

“Okay, enough bonding, you two. We’ve got a Benefactor to catch,” Stiles said after a moment, clapping his hands together eagerly. “Argent, you got your laptop ready?”

 

Argent nodded briskly as he gestured for the two teenagers to follow him further into the basement until they arrived at his laptop, open and waiting.

 

“Alright, Mini Murder. You’ve got access to the Benefactor. Do your thing.” Stiles gestured grandly to the laptop.

 

Ariana ignored the nickname and inhaled slowly as she moved to the laptop. She quickly opened up the browser, clicking around quickly until she was logged into Garrett’s email. The Benefactor’s latest email still sat near the top of the inbox, the link sitting there waiting. Ariana pointedly ignored the pang in her chest as she clicked the link. She hit a few keys as instructed, until finally the page was loaded.

 

“Okay, we’re in,” Ariana said finally.

 

She stepped back from the laptop as Argent took over the keyboard now, clearly eager to communicate. His fingers hit the keys in an agonisingly slow fashion as if he was determined to show off how old he was, and Ariana stood back, arms folded as she tried to restrain herself from sighing impatiently. Finally Argent hit the enter key and pulled back with a pleased expression.

 

SCOTT MCCALL DEAD. PAYMENT REQUESTED.

 

Pursing her lips, Ariana nodded slowly. It wasn’t terrible. Simple and direct. But it was definitely lacking…something.

 

“That’s your assassin speak?” Stiles spoke up before Ariana could. His tone was a mixture of doubt and disappointment as he winced over at Argent. 

 

The older man looked mildly offended. “I said he’s dead. What more do you want?” he asked.

 

“Well it was a little dry. You could’ve said something like ‘The target has been neutralised.’ You know? ‘The crow flies at midnight.’ That’s always cool.” Stiles shrugged as he turned to look at Ariana. “Ari? You’re an assassin. Back me up here.”

 

“He’s got a point,” Ariana agreed reluctantly, her mind quickly glossing over Stiles’s use of her nickname for the first time. This wasn’t the time to worry about that odd occurrence. “Look, the Benefactor is used to communicating with assassins. You need a bit of…edge,” she added.

 

VISUAL CONFIRMATION IS REQUIRED

 

“I told you,” Ariana said quietly, running a hand through her long hair.

 

“Alright, alright, hold up Negative Nancy. We got this,” Stiles said, brushing off Ariana’s withering look.

 

“Okay, type this: ‘Visual conformation isn’t possible. Police coming to claim body in forty minutes.’” Chris dictated to Stiles, giving Ariana a quick glance for approval. Well it was a reasonable explanation, although it was still missing the edge she was used to hearing whenever Garrett communicated with the Benefactor. Still, it was worth a shot. Ariana bit her lip but nodded as Stiles quickly hit the keys, practically stumbling over the words in his eagerness.

 

There was a pause as they all waited with baited breath, then the screen lit up again, the letters appearing one at a time.

 

VISUAL CONFIRMATION REQUIRED FOR PAYMENT.

 

The three of them all let out a collective huff of frustration. Biting her lip, Ariana pulled her hair up into a high pony-tail as her mind whirled. “Hang on, let me try something,” she said finally as she secured her hair with a hair tie and tugged it firmly.

 

Ariana nudged the other two out of the way as she moved towards the laptop, her small hands already reaching out to the keyboard. She just needed to channel Garrett. What would he say in this situation? How would he threaten the Benefactor? Ariana’s eyes drifted shut for a moment as she sifted through the last year of mercenary work and the endless threats she’d listen to Garrett deliver. Finally something came to the front of her mind and she opened her eyes with a satisfied smirk and began to type.

 

“I killed Number One on the list. If the wire transfer isn’t done in forty minutes…I’ll take you down myself. I will kill every creature on that list and then I will come for you. ”

 

There was a brief silence as Ariana sent the message, her heart thumping a little as she did so. Was it too much? She’d spent so much time lately repressing her assassin side that it felt a bit weird to let it out, especially in front of someone she barely knew and Stiles who was probably going to go tattle to Scott the minute the alpha woke up.

 

After a moment though, Stiles let out a small scoff of surprise as he read the message, easing Ariana’s mind. “See? That’s what I’m talking about! Much cooler!” he exclaimed, flashing Ariana an uncharacteristic grin. “Alright, Part A of Operation Bye-Bye Benefactor is complete. Let’s go.”

 

“You named this plan Bye-Bye Benefactor?” Ariana asked, rolling her eyes as she followed Stiles back up the staircase, Argent following a few steps behind. Honestly with a ridiculous name like that, Ariana was feeling more and more doubtful about the success of this plan. Then again, it was their best shot.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“Okay, hang on. It’s almost…and there we go!”

 

Ariana hovered tentatively beside Liam while Stiles fumbled to keep the phone between his ear and shoulder as he hit the keys on the middle laptop with a flourish, causing all three screens to light up. Suddenly they were looking at the hospital from several different angles. They were in. They had eyes on every possible corner. If the Benefactor made appearance, they would know about it.

 

Kira let out a small whoop of relief from the other side of Ariana, reaching out instinctively to squeeze her shoulder. Ariana tensed for a moment at the unexpected affection before quickly relaxing into the touch as she allowed a smile to slip up her face. Stiles said a quick goodbye to Argent over the phone before snapping the phone back onto the table beside his laptop with a satisfied grin.

 

The small group all stood in front of the screens, watching the people bustling around throughout the hospital, all the nurses rushing around saving lives. Any minute the Benefactor could appear, whoever they were. The thought of ending this made Ariana a little anxious for reasons she couldn’t quite pin down, but when Liam squeezed her hand that anxiousness faded out a little. They would end this tonight. Then she could relax and focus on understanding the full extent of her druid abilities without worrying about assassins coming for her.

 

Ariana’s thoughts were interrupted as one of the feeds suddenly went static and cut out, leaving them with a blank screen. Stiles jolted slightly, throwing his hands out in front of him in confusion as Ariana frowned, her eyes flickering over the other camera feeds. So much for things going well. 

 

“Is that supposed to look like that?” Liam asked slowly, squeezing Ariana’s hand a little tighter as a worried frown sunk itself onto his face.

 

Stiles turned to look at Liam, one eyebrow raised in exasperation. “No…No it’s not.”

 

“Where is that?” Kira was scanning the other camera feeds, trying to work out what location was missing. “Which camera is missing?”

 

They all stared at the laptops, taking note of which rooms and locations were accounted for. Finally Stiles let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s the roof. Someone’s going to have to go check it out.”

 

“I’ll go,” Kira said. Her tone was decisive, leaving no room for argument. She was already reaching for her belt as she went to rush out of the room, before Stiles threw out a hand to stop her, grabbing onto her arm before she could leave.

 

“Woah, woah…This might not just be a malfunction,” he warned.

 

Kira just smiled, tapping her sword disguised as a belt sitting across her hips. “I know. That’s why I’m bringing this.” As much as Ariana and Kira didn’t really get along well yet, Ariana had to admit that having a belt-sword was pretty cool.

 

“I’m coming with you!” Liam squeezed Ariana’s hand quickly in assurance before taking off two steps behind Kira, clearly eager to do what he could to help.

 

“Great! I’ll just stay here…With Stiles.” Ariana called after him, glaring at the doorway.

 

There was a silence as Ariana and Stiles both stared at the empty doorway in mutual irritation, both letting out a sigh as the sound of Liam and Kira’s footsteps faded into the distance.

 

“Hey, no earthquakes.” Stiles pointed a finger at Ariana after a moment, his eyes already distrusting as he narrowed them at her.

 

Ariana pursed her lips as she turned to give Stiles a half hearted glare. “No promises.” It was true, she still wasn’t entirely sure what triggered her abilities or how to really use them, so there was no point making an empty promise. Still, it wasn’t like she was eager to create another natural disaster either.

 

The two of them positioned themselves in front of the laptops, eyes focused on the screens as they waited for something to happen. It was tense, and Ariana could feel her entire body on edge, holding her breath as she waited to spot anything unusual. She just wanted tonight to go smoothly, to prove that she could be helpful, to show she wasn’t pure evil despite what Stiles kept suggesting.

 

Clearly wishing for an easy night was a bad idea, and not half a second later, the lights in the room flickered before suddenly zapping out, along with all three laptop screens. They had lost all vision of the hospital. Ariana jumped back as she was suddenly thrown into darkness, blinking quickly to try and regain some sight back while Stiles hovered beside her, his hands swinging around himself as he tried to do the same.

 

“Damnit. Okay, we need to find Argent now.” Stiles said after a moment, his arms stilling as he was finally able to see through the dull illumination of the emergency lighting flooding through from down the hospital’s corridor.

 

Ariana let out a huff as she followed Stiles out of the room, ignoring the way he batted his hands to silence her. They wandered down the dark corridors, making sure to keep against the walls as doctors and nurses all rushed past them in the chaos, all clearly unprepared for the blackout.

 

“How are we even going to find him?” Ariana hissed, ignoring the way she could feel her hands trembling slightly as she wrapped them around her body tightly. Now really wouldn’t be a great time to start an earthquake. She’d done enough damage already.

 

Stiles didn’t notice though as he continued to lead Ariana through the corridors. “We’ll find him. Trust me. And if we don’t then I’ll spam him with calls until he answers.”

 

Well that was helpful. Ariana rolled her eyes but continued to follow Stiles, her eyes gazing over the people rushing past, none of them even taking notice of the two of them.

 

Ariana’s eyes widened briefly in panic as her eyes fell upon a familiar face directed towards her only a few feet away. Before she could fully register what she was doing, she found herself yanking Stiles around the corner, rolling her eyes as he let out a yelp of surprise.

 

“What the hell?” Stiles hissed, struggling against the pressure of her hand slightly.

 

“Sorry,” Ariana hissed back, keeping one hand on his chest in an attempt to keep him still as she peered around, her eyes following Lucas. He was just finishing up a conversation with another nurse before he headed down the hall past them, thankfully remaining completely oblivious. “Just…just wait a second…” Ariana trailed off, watching the back of Lucas anxiously until he had turned the corner and disappeared.

 

Stiles had stopped struggling now. “What are you doing?”

 

“Sorry, it’s just…That’s my foster brother and I don’t really feel like explaining all of…this.” Ariana ended awkwardly as she gestured around them. This entire situation was a little unconventional and explaining it to Lucas was just asking for a disaster. He knew about werewolves but she wasn’t sure how deep his knowledge went. Plus she really didn’t feel like explaining Stiles to Lucas. That would not be an amusing conversation.

 

“What, that you’re currently helping to hide a dead body until the mysterious leader of a supernatural hit-list shows up?”

 

Ariana stared incredulously at Stiles for a moment. “Yes. Exactly that.”

 

Stiles was about to open his mouth, most likely preparing an absurd argument to further prove her point, when Argent slipped around the corner, his eyes immediately drawn to the two of them.

 

“Stiles, how are our visuals?” Argent asked, his voice hushed as a group of doctors bustled past, all talking furtively.

 

“Power’s out in the whole building. We lost all the cameras,” Stiles explained. Ariana hovered beside him fidgeting anxiously as she glanced around them, half expecting to see Lucas pop out from around the corner again.

 

“Okay, you two stay with Scott. Text me if you see or hear anything.” Argent threw them both a nod, flashing Ariana a semi reassuring smile before he ducked off around the corner, leaving her alone with Stiles again much to her disappointment.

 

Stiles seemed equally irritated, letting out a groan as he flailed for a moment. “Alright, let’s get back to Scott, but like I said, no funny business!” He threw a warning finger up at her before turning to head back to where his best friend’s body lay a few corridors away.

 

“Hey, I want this resolved just as much as you do. Maybe more! I’m on the list, unlike you,” Ariana hissed to Stiles as she followed him, rolling her eyes as he threw her a glare over his shoulder.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“Come on, come on, answer the phone. Answer the phone, Argent.”

 

“Maybe he found the Benefactor?” Ariana offered from the floor where she’d planted herself, hugging her knees to her chest tightly. Stiles had been pacing for the last five minutes and while it was amusing to watch Stiles freak out, Ariana had to admit she was starting to feel some of his tension too.

 

“No…No he would have at least texted me by now.” Stiles shook his head as he pulled the phone from his ear to hit redial again, not even bothering to halt in his intense pacing. “Come on Argent! Answer the phone. Why are you not answering the phone?” He glared at his phone as if the glare would get virtually delivered to Argent himself.

 

The glare seemed to work somehow, as half a second later the door flung open. “Stiles, Ariana, run. Get out of here. GO!”

 

Ariana scrambled backwards as Argent was thrown towards her, his body skidding slightly on the cold tiles as he shouted frantically, terror ringing in his voice.

 

She was only half way to standing when the doors swung open again and a familiar face entered the room, her long blonde hair whipped out behind her. Kate’s entrance brought back a vivid flashback to the last time Ariana had been confronted with the were-jaguar, the way she had taunted Ariana, the mocking tone she’d used as she revealed Violet’s dying body.

 

“Aw look, my favourite little orphan!”

 

A feeling of overwhelming rage and grief washed over Ariana, blinding her to any sense of rationality as she moved towards Kate, hate in her eyes.“You bi-”

 

“Woah hey, hey now.” Stiles lunged forward to grab hold of Ariana, tugging her backwards by the waist until she was several feet away from Kate. “You. Stay.” He pointed a finger close to Ariana’s face, narrowing his eyes at her until she pulled her furious gaze from Kate up to him. Satisfied that she was staying still, Stiles then turned to Kate, stepping out in front of Ariana to block her view of the older woman. “You. Go,” he said to Kate, pointing a finger at her with a stronger glare.

 

Kate rolled her eyes, looking only mildly inconvenienced at best. “Get out of the way, Stiles. I’m taking the body,” she said, one hand resting comfortably on her hip.

 

“Why? Visual confirmation?” Stiles asked, moving slightly away from Ariana now, suspicion strong in his eyes. It was nice to see it directed at someone else for once, instead of Ariana, not that the thought did much to calm her bitter rage right now.

 

“Don’t worry handsome, I’m not the Benefactor,” Kate said as she studied Stiles with a look of amusement, like she was enjoying this little game. After all, that was all this was to her. Just a sick, twisted game.

 

“Then what do you want with the body?” Argent asked.

 

“I wish I could tell you-” Kate was cut off as Argent lunged for her. Ariana was briefly annoyed as she noticed Stiles barely even attempting to stop him, his hands still hovering in front of her instead.

 

As the two Argents came to a stop, Argent’s gun pointed up at Kate’s chin, she let out a vaguely amused sigh. “I always forget you carry two.”

 

“Back off!” Argent growled at Kate as she attempted to pull away from him, while Ariana hovered beside Stiles. Surely if she concentrated enough she could make the ground shake a little under Kate, enough to give her a scare at least. But that would require a focus she wasn’t sure she was really capable of. Instead she was stuck watching as Stiles held one hand out to keep her from getting involved, as if that would stop her from trying.

 

“You sure you can pull that trigger fast enough?” Kate asked her brother slowly.

 

“I don’t want to,” Argent replied shortly, and it showed. Ariana had been around enough men with guns to see the slight shake of his hand as his finger hovered over the trigger. He wasn’t going to pull it, and he knew it.

 

Kate allowed a taunting smirk to grow on her lips as she studied Argent carefully. “You’re not going to kill me,” she said cooly.

 

“I might,” Ariana quipped darkly, taking a quick step sideways to get around Stiles.

 

“What are you going to do, Ariana? Poison me from over there?” Kate asked, her tone equally mocking and biting as she tilted her head at Ariana. “Or maybe you’ll stab me just like you stabbed-”

 

“No!” Ariana cut Kate off, her eyes widening with panic suddenly at the thought of that truth spilling out. She wasn’t sure how Stiles and the pack would react if they knew what she had done to Violet. She couldn’t risk that truth spilling out. Not now when she was doing her best to actually help. They’d never trust her again if they knew. Liam would never trust her. “No,” she repeated, a little more calmly this time. “I don’t need to do that anymore. I can do worse.” She ignored Stiles who was currently flapping his hands frantically, presumably trying to get her to shut up.

 

“Oh that’s right! You’re finally on the list too. You and your little friends can finally be yourselves. Must feel _liberating_.” Kate said, raising an eyebrow.

 

Ariana stopped, frowning. “My friends? What are you talking about?”

 

An amused smirk began to grow on Kate’s face. “Hasn’t anyone told you what you are?” she asked, tilting her head with a hint of condescension.

 

“Yeah, I’m a druid. And a pretty powerful one, apparently.” Ariana shot back quickly, raising her eyebrows as she kept her gaze locked on Kate.

 

Kate didn’t waver though, her amusement only growing. “Oh sure, but you’re so much more than that. Hasn’t anyone told you yet? You really don’t know? I thought you were more clued in than that…”

 

“What are you talking about?” Ariana asked again, a little more edge to her voice this time as she narrowed her eyes at Kate.

 

“She’s just making up crap to get into your head, to distract you,” Stiles cut in finally. “She knows we’re running out of time.”

 

“I’m not going to let you take his body.” Argent kept his gaze locked on his sister, eyes determined.

 

“Okay well obviously you two have a lot to talk about so…Ari wanna go check out the vending machine?” Stiles asked hopefully. It was clearly less of a question and more of an instruction, but Ariana remained unmoving, her eyes glued to Kate as she shook her head. She wasn’t going anywhere until she got some answers.

 

“You listen to me, Kate. We have a plan,” Argent said, cutting off Ariana’s train of thought.

 

Kate remained where she was though, one eyebrow raised slightly. “And if killing Scott was part of it then you’re worse than me. I mean I know Ariana is capable of that, no question. But you…not so much.”

 

“He’s telling the truth. We’re trying to get to the Benefactor.” Stiles cut Kate off again, clearly trying to focus on the plan while Ariana’s focus remained solely on Kate and the vague information she’d just alluded to.

 

Argent stepped closer to his sister, one hand gripping his gun tightly. “If you didn’t notice, you’re on that list too. And worth more than most.”

 

Kate glared back. “That’s why I’m here.”

 

“Then back off and let us do what we planned.” Argent was practically begging his sister now. “Take the Berserkers and go. Kate, please. We have a plan.”

 

Ariana watched as Kate’s eyes flickered uncertainly between Argent and Stiles, until she finally stepped away, holding both hands up.

 

“Alright, if that’s what you want. I’ll go,” Kate said, stepping backwards towards the door until she bumped against it with her back. She glanced at Ariana, giving a small wave. “See you around, Ari.” And with a sly smirk, she disappeared out the door.

 

Argent and Stiles both let out a sigh of relief, clearly relieved at her exit, but Ariana didn’t feel relieved. She felt empty, like she was missing something. It was like she was trying to finish a complex puzzle and Kate had stolen a piece, throwing her off. Ariana wavered for a moment, ignoring the other two muttering together as she stared at the door after Kate. Then, without hesitating any longer, she lunged forward.

 

“Ariana! What are you doing?” Stiles yelled after her, catching the door as she pushed past it.

 

“She knows something about me, Stiles. I can’t let that go!’ Ariana yelled back over her shoulder, throwing him an apologetic look before rounding the corner. She had no idea which way Kate had gone but she couldn’t just sit back and let Kate leave without at least trying. She had to know what Kate knew.

 

Ariana spotted Kate’s two large Berserkers before she could even make out Kate in the distance, and despite the pit of anxiety and terror growing in her stomach at the sight of the Berserkers, she pushed forward, determination overriding fear. “KATE! WAIT!”

 

Her voice was loud enough to stop Kate in her tracks and as Ariana came to a halt, she watched the older woman slowly turn around to face her, an amused look on her face. The Berserkers stood on either side of her like bodyguards, throwing Ariana off for a moment as she fought off flashes to the last time she’d seen them.

 

“Can I help you with something? A death wish perhaps?” Kate asked, tilting her head as she studied Ariana.

 

Ariana shook her head, catching her breath for a minute before speaking again. “No. You said you know what I am. Me and the others. What did you mean?”

 

Kate remained unmoving. “You really don’t know?”

 

“Obviously not,” Ariana shot back, standing her ground. “Just answer the question.”

 

Kate clicked her tongue as she folded her arms comfortably across her chest, her hip cocked slightly as she studied Ariana’s small but determined frame. She seemed to be thinking, perhaps deciding on how much to reveal. Then finally she lifted her chin slightly. “I meant exactly that. You think you’re the only one discovering sudden abilities? Come on, Ariana. You’re smarter than that. Surely you’ve worked out by now that this is bigger than just you. Think about it.”

 

“You’re making that up. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ariana retorted, but she remained tense, waiting.

 

“Like I said, you’re smart. Figure it out.” Kate shrugged, clearly satisfied with the information she’d shared despite the fact that she actually hadn’t offered anything useful at all.

 

Ariana stared back at her, frustration building inside as she clenched her fists tightly. “You killed both of my friends. You owe me an explanation, or answers, or just _something_!” She raised her voice slightly. After everything she’d gone through over the last few days, she deserved an answer. She needed to know that she hadn’t lost her two closest friends for nothing. She needed to know why this was happening to her.

 

Kate was unperturbed. “Both? Well hang on, I don’t think it’s fair for me to claim responsibility for that, when you and I both know who _really_ killed Violet. I mean I would’ve loved to finish the job but that was your task, not mine.”

 

“My task? What, so you left her dying so I’d finish it for you? Why would you do that?” Ariana glared at Kate, the very idea sickening her slightly. She flexing her fists, almost as if it was an unconscious twitch. There was no sign of any earthquakes flowing from her though as she struggled to keep her breath steady,

 

“Sorry kid, I was just following orders.” Kate said as she held her hands out defensively, although her expression gave away no sense of remorse.

 

That halted Ariana and she froze suddenly, frowning. “Orders? What orders? From who?”

 

Kate shrugged her shoulders again, throwing Ariana smirk. “None of your business, I’m afraid. Well actually, it’s entirely your business but you’ll work it all out soon enough.”

 

Before Ariana could push any further questions, Kate twirled around and strutted off, the two Berserkers marching beside her menacingly, leaving Ariana to stare after them helplessly. She’d chased after Kate to get answers and instead she was left feeling even more confused than ever.

 

 _Orders_. So Kate had been ordered to come for her friends. She’d been ordered to leave Violet half dying until Ariana arrived. Someone had given her the order, but who? And why? Was this just another one of the Benefactor’s sick games again? Ariana sunk onto the curb, hugging her knees tightly as she inhaled deeply, mulling over Kate’s words.

 

By the time Liam and the rest of the pack trickled outside, Scott looking exhausted but alive, Ariana was still hunched over on the curb, eyes staring dully ahead as she ran over Kate’s words over and over again.

 

“Ariana!”

 

Ariana jolted at the sound of her name, tilting her head around in time to see Liam breaking away from the group to rush towards her. She stood up just in time for him to wrap her in his arms, hugging her tightly.

 

“They said you went after Kate. Are you okay?” He asked, tightening his grip as she returned the hug. He was shaking slightly and Ariana could feel his heart pounding, but her touch seemed to calm him slightly, just as his touch seemed to relax her own tension.

 

“I’m fine” Ariana said softly as she finally pulled away to look at him. “Are you okay? What happened on the roof?”

 

“Kate’s Berserkers. It’s fine,” Liam said quickly, clearly keen to brush off whatever incident had occurred. They both stared at each other for a moment, eyes lingering as they studied each other as if to determine just how okay the other one really was.

 

“See? I told you she’d be fine,” Stiles said loudly as the rest of the group finally reached her, Argent looking grave and Kira looking slightly distressed as she glanced back at the hospital. Stiles clearly been told off for letting Ariana run off after Kate, and he threw her a mild glare as she stood up, turning to face them. “What happened to Kate? Did she actually tell you anything?”

 

Ariana hesitated, the words flashing through her mind again. Finally she shook her head wordlessly, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. There was no point stressing everyone else out right now. They’d all gone through enough tonight and adding more mystery wouldn’t help anyone, especially when it would involve explaining more about Violet’s death and Ariana definitely didn’t have the energy for that.

 

Stiles let out a huff. “Well great! I’m glad risking your life and running off was worth it.”

 

“Hey, leave her alone,” Liam said, stepping in front of Ariana defensively. “She helped us tonight. You don’t need to keep interrogating her.”

 

Scott nodded, holding a hand out to stop Stiles from continuing his rant. “Liam is right. You did good tonight, Ari.” He smiled at her, his eyes tired but kind and it threw Ariana off a little, as his compassion always did. She stared back at him for a moment before nodding back.

 

“Did it work though? Did the Benefactor show up?” Ariana asked, the point of the entire night suddenly hitting her again. Even if she’d opened up a new box of questions from Kate, at least if they were closer to the Benefactor tonight would feel somewhat productive.

 

Scott sighed, shaking his head. “No, but that might tell us more than we realised. Anyway, I think we all need some rest.”

 

“Dude, you were dead. How much more rest do you need?” Stiles quipped, patting Scott on the back.

 

Scott didn’t respond to Stiles aside from rolling his eyes as he gestured for everyone to head off, moving towards Stiles’ jeep, clearly ready for the entire night to be over, a feeling Ariana understood all to well.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

Ariana had been lying in bed back in Liam’s spare bedroom for about half an hour after saying an awkward goodnight, but her mind was still racing, going over the events of the last few hours. The more she lay there, the more she could feel herself spiralling into a panic, too overwhelmed by the possibilities of Kate’s words and too terrified by the memory of the Berserkers that all she could do was lie there, heart rate increasing by the second.

 

Finally it seemed that there was only one logical thing to do, one thing she knew could calm her down. Liam.

 

“Liam, I know you have werewolf hearing so you can probably hear this. I think? Does it work okay through walls? That’s probably a dumb question…But if you can hear me, you can probably hear my heartbeat anyway so… could you maybe come in?” Ariana cut off her own rambling, clenching her eyes shut in annoyance. She sounded like an idiot but the pounding of her own heart was too strong for her to care.

 

Half a moment later Liam nudged the spare bedroom door open, peering in. He looked tired, his blue eyes slightly darker than usual. “Hey,” he whispered with a tentative smile as he moved into the room, closing the door carefully to avoid making any excess noise.“My hearing works through walls just fine apparently,” he quipped as he turned back to face her.

 

Ariana offered up half a smile back, shifting across slightly on the bed to make room for Liam. He sat down with an air of uncertainty, like he wasn’t sure what the rules between them were anymore. Ariana definitely understood that feeling, since she was already wondering what the heck she thinking inviting Liam so this late at night.

 

“So…”Liam fidgeted slightly as he looked at her, his face already closer than she’d anticipated. “What’s up?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Ariana tried to compose herself a little more, clearing her thoughts into something coherent. “Does it bug you?” she blurted out, turning to look Liam straight in the eyes. It wasn’t exactly what she’d been planning to say but it was out now and she knew she needed an answer to something tonight. But Liam’s expression just shifted into one of confusion.

 

“Does what bug me?” he asked, frowning as he toyed with her hands, his thumb stroking hers lightly but enough to send a small shiver down her spine.

 

Ariana pursed her lips, fighting the urge to brush her anxiety off as nothing. “My past. The Orphans,” she said finally.

 

She watched Liam carefully now, taking in the way he stiffened slightly, his hand tensing a little in hers. He didn’t pull away though. Instead he steeled himself and drew his gaze to hers calmly. “No,” he said, his eyes steady on hers.

 

Ariana’s brows furrowed slightly. “You’re lying. I can tell you’re lying. You freeze up every time someone brings it up,” she accused.

 

“Okay fine, it bugs me.” Liam ran one hand through his hair in frustration, keeping the other hand firmly gripped in hers. “Yeah, it’s weird to think of you murdering people for money. It feels weird knowing you were plotting to kill my friends. But that doesn’t define who you are.” Liam jutted his chin out slightly, giving off an air of stubbornness as if daring Ariana to challenge his feelings.

 

For a brief moment Ariana’s mind flashed to the image of her hand pushing the dagger into Violet’s chest, the weight of her actions sinking back into her body. “You can’t say that though. I mean you don’t even know what I’ve done-”

 

“I don’t care.” Liam interrupted Ariana, squeezing her hand a little tighter. “You’re not a bad person just because of the things you’ve done. Look at me! I’m all full of aggression but I don’t let it define me. Do you think I’m a bad person?”

 

“It’s different for you-”

 

“How? I lied to you. I hurt you. I could’ve killed you if I wasn’t careful.” Liam raised an eyebrow at Ariana. “How is that different? Yeah, hearing about your past is weird, but I don’t care. I don’t care what you’ve done. It doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

 

Ariana studied Liam for a moment, her gaze softening. There was nothing but pure earnest truth in Liam’s eyes. He really meant it.

 

Throwing away any precautions and worries out of her mind, Ariana leaned forward and pressed her lips to Liam’s, one hand reaching up to clench his t-shirt, tugging him a little closer. Liam responded quickly, shifting to get a better angle as he brought a hand up to brush against Ariana’s cheek. His lips were eager against hers, soft and warm as he kissed her. Suddenly all Ariana’s senses could focus on was Liam’s lips against hers and the feeling of his hands drifting lower down her waist.

 

Then, just as suddenly Liam pulled away, a crease forming in the centre of his forehead as he looked at her. His eyes were already starting to glaze over but still he remained a fraction too far from Ariana, causing a pout to form on her lips.

 

“Wait…what does this mean?” Liam asked after he took a moment to focus. Ariana frowned back, confused, but he quickly continued. “I mean for us? I thought you wanted to wait until things were normal before we talked about us…”

 

Ariana bit her lip, noticing the way Liam’s eyes were immediately drawn to the movement and the way her stomach swooped slightly at his expression.

 

“Liam, you’re a werewolf and I’m a druid, which I still don’t fully understand. I don’t think things are ever going to be normal. Not for us.”

 

Liam just smiled back as he leaned forward again to capture her lips once more. The kiss gradually grew a little more heated as Liam leaned closer, angling them downwards until Ariana’s head sank into the pillow. Liam’s weight was warm and comfortable on her as he leaned down, and the intensity of the kiss increasing slightly as he pressed against her. They kissed for a while, both losing track of time as they lost themselves in the moment, suddenly just two teenagers without a care in the world except each other.

 

Ariana’s hands had just grazed the edge of Liam’s t-shirt, ready to tug it off, when the moment was broken by a sudden clunking and whirling of something across the hallway in Liam’s bedroom. Ariana broke the kiss and pulled her head away, hooded eyes darting across to the door with a frown.

 

“Was that…?” Ariana wasn’t quite sure how to finish that sentence, the variables too wide to even begin. Was it Scott? Was it the Benefactor? Or maybe Kate? Either way, the noise unsettled her slightly.

 

Liam seemed equally confused by the noise, his entire body freezing almost as if in fear. Still, he was reluctant to investigate, resting his forehead on Ariana’s for a moment as he caught his breath. Finally he moved, squeezing Ariana’s hand before climbing up and heading out of the spare bedroom and back towards his room. Ariana hugged her arms to her chest as she followed him, shuffling down the hall just in time to see Liam grab several pieces of paper that his printer had spurted out. He stared at it silently for a minute, his body slowly tensing. Ariana watched his shoulders stiffening, taking in the way he stayed hunched over, refusing to look back at her even as she made her presence known with a cough.

 

“Liam?” she whispered finally. “What is it? Are we fighting ghost printers now?” Her joke fell flat as Liam turned around, lifting his gaze to her. He looked anxious, eyebrows creased into an expression of something akin to fear and the paper in his hand shook slightly.

 

“It’s the list. The Benefactor’s list. The whole thing.” He flipped the first piece of paper over to show Ariana, and even from across the room she recognised it. The names, all typed out with a neat figure beside them. Just seeing the names made the knot in Ariana’s stomach immediately tighten and she inhaled sharply.

 

Something about this didn’t make any sense though. “What? Hang on, how did you print it?” Ariana asked, shaking her head in confusion. 

 

Liam shrugged hopelessly. “I didn’t. It printed via the wifi, I guess.”

 

“How? Who printed it then?”

 

Ariana’s questions only seemed to trouble Liam further. “I really don’t know,” he said, pulling his eyes up to Ariana. He looked like a helpless puppy suddenly, his big blue eyes wide as he stared at her.

 

Ariana moved closer, grabbing one sheet of paper from him to get a closer look. Her eyes scanned the list, taking in the familiar names, feeling a vague pang in her chest as she spotted the crossed out names of victims she’d helped take down. But there was something else, something that wasn’t right. “Wait, Liam…Some of the numbers are different. But that can’t be right…”

 

“Are you sure?” Liam leaned over her shoulder, his breath tickling her neck slightly. But now really wasn’t the time to be focusing on that. Not anymore. “What’s different?” Liam asked, breaking Ariana from her brief distraction.

 

Taking a deep breath, Ariana tapped one name on the list. “Well last time I checked you weren’t worth 18 million…” Ariana slowly handed back the piece of paper, watching as Liam’s face slowly fell.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

Liam seemed eager to get to class the next day, practically bolting away from Ariana as soon as he could. He’d been jumpy all morning but Ariana brushed it off as anxiety over the deadpool, although she suspected he was probably still shaken from the Berserkers and Ariana didn’t blame him. Hopefully Scott would have a way to fix everything. It felt odd, to rely on Scott for an answer but at the same time there was something comforting in having someone to turn to, especially when Ariana was so used to turning to Garrett and Violet. Scott wasn’t the perfect replacement but for now he would have to do.

 

Walking through the school hallway, crowded and noisy as usual, Ariana was suddenly struck by a feeling of loneliness. Seeing everyone catching up with their friends and laughing just provided a heavy reminder that Ariana’s two best friends in the world were gone. Even worse, their deaths didn’t seem to shake anyone else. No one else would mourn them the way she did. Granted, no one else even knew about Violet’s death, which made it that much heavier a burden to bear.

 

The walk to her locker suddenly felt endless as Ariana trudged through, weaving her way through a sea of students. Everywhere she looked, she could see memories of her friends. It was like ever corner held a remnant of a hushed conversation with Garrett or a memory of Violet teasing her about Liam. It all seemed like so long ago but Ariana couldn’t help feel like any moment one of them would slip up beside her like nothing had happened, like the last few days had been some distorted nightmare. Every step through the corridors seemed to cut like a knife as Ariana continued, until suddenly someone stuck out from the crowd, standing only a few feet away with his locker wide open.

 

“Mason. Hi!” Ariana lifted a smile onto her face, something that felt slightly odd after the last few days. Still, she’d missed her friend and suddenly the need for one of his hugs felt like the only thing that could cheer her up at all.

 

As soon as Mason spotted her, his entire face lit up, a mixture of relief and amazement washing over him as he moved forward and engulfed her in a tight hug. Ariana let out a breath, wrapping her arms around him and returning the hug as she willed herself not to burst into tears at the show of much needed affection from her only close friend right now.

 

Then, just as quickly, Mason pulled away, shoving one hand firmly in his pocket as if to restrain it from reaching out to her again, while the other hand pointed accusingly at her. “No. You know what? No,” he said firmly, his expression shifting into a glare for a moment before he turned and marched away.

 

Ariana was left feeling incredibly puzzled, her heart thudding. She stared after him for a second before shaking her head and hurriedly chased after him. She dodged around several taller students until she caught up and tugged on his arm. “Mason? What’s wrong?” She asked, eyes wide.

 

Mason turned around sharply, a mixture of hurt and betrayal in his eyes as he glared down at her. “Oh I’m sorry, I guess I missed the update that we were on speaking terms again.”

 

That didn’t clear anything up at all. Ariana furrowed her brow as she wracked her brain to try and understand Mason’s unexpected hostility. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

 

“Why? I don’t know, maybe because you’ve been ignoring my texts all weekend, despite everything that happened?” Mason stared incredulously at Ariana, waving one hand in disbelief.

 

“Mason I-”

 

But Mason wasn’t finished. “Maybe because a few days ago Violet got arrested for murdering people and I found out my best friends had been lying to me. Maybe because I had no idea if you were okay. I had no idea if you were alive, if you’d run away without saying goodbye, or if they’d kidnapped you and killed you too.”

 

Ariana mentally noted that Mason had apparently immediately assumed her innocence which was odd but good. Still, his words stung and the tears she had willed away just seconds before were threatening to spill again. “Mason, I’m sorry. I just had a lot to deal with and-”

 

Mason cut her off again, taking half a step back from her as he continued his rant. “Are you actually going to explain at all? What happened to you? One second you were running off with Violet to the bathroom at the lacrosse game and then you both disappear and suddenly she and Garrett wanted by the police for murder. Our two best friends were murderers and I was freaking out and I didn’t have anyone to talk to.”

 

Ariana shook her head quickly, trying to clear her mind as she watched Mason’s expression. “No, I know that and I’m sorry. I just freaked out and it all happened so quickly-”

 

But Mason had clearly already made up his mind. “You know what? I don’t even want to hear it. I was freaking out but just wanted to know if my best friend was okay and you couldn’t even be bothered with a quick text. That says it all, I guess.”

 

Shrugging his shoulders, Mason turned away before Ariana could speak again, leaving her even more alone than before.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“Okay, why are we all here, exactly? And where is Kira?” Malia asked bluntly. She was leaning against the bench with a sullen frown watching Scott pace back and forth while Liam and Ariana sat at the table. Scott had called them all to his house after school with essentially no explanation, although Ariana had a fairly solid idea of what was going on judging from Liam’s tense posture right now.

 

Liam had been in an odd mood all day, apparently still shaken from his interaction with Kate’s Berserkers given the way he jumped at every tiny sound. It was frustrating in a way, constantly getting so close to reaching a sense of normalcy with Liam only to have it tugged away again. She’d thought they were moving forward after last night’s kiss, but the Benefactor’s List seemed to have freaked Liam out again too since every time she mentioned last night he just froze and changed the subject.

 

Even now as he was sitting beside her he’d been relatively calm but as soon as Malia had spoken Liam’s fists immediately clenched themselves, refusing to budge even as Ariana reached out to place one hand over his in attempt to calm him slightly.

 

Sure enough, Scott was already pulling out the copy of the list Liam had given him earlier. “Well firstly, Kira is with her mom at the Palo Alto Hospital. And secondly, we’re here because of this.” He handed the paper to Malia. “The deadpool list is out for anyone now. Which means it’s fair game. Anyone can come for us. We’re officially open targets.”

 

“Great,” Malia said, her tone deadpan as she glanced from the paper back up to Scott. “So basically we were screwed before and now we’re just more screwed.”

 

“Not exactly. It just means we need to be on alert now more than usual. But it’s not just that. Derek is off the list and now Liam is worth eighteen million. Now Derek’s name was one of the cypher keys, right Ariana?”

 

“Yep,” Ariana spoke up with a quick nod. “It was Allison, Aiden and then Derek” she prattled off quickly, ticking off the names on her hand as her mind flicked back to the first few emails she’d watched Garrett open. Ariana watched as something flickered behind Scott’s eyes before he quickly masked it with a nod.

 

“Right. Allison and Aiden both died, but obviously Derek is alive so that’s weird. Now Lydia is looking into some stuff about the Benefactor because we have reason to believe there may be a banshee involved. That might explain the cypher keys, and potentially how the list was created.”

 

“Wait, a banshee? Like Lydia?” Ariana asked, her brain sifting through all of Garrett’s research into banshees. She hadn’t really retained much knowledge there since it hadn’t been relevant to her war against werewolves, but she remembered a few bits and pieces.

 

Scott nodded back. “Exactly. Banshees can predict and sense death, which could explain why the Benefactor doesn’t actually need visual confirmation. It might not be right, but it’s the closest lead we have right now.”

 

Ariana was about to speak up again, suddenly curious about the science behind banshees, when the front door flung open, making Liam almost jump out of his skin beside her. Half a second later, Stiles swung around the corner, all arms and legs as he raced in.

 

“Hey guys, I was just with my dad at the station and he got a call. Looks like they found-” Stiles broke off as his eyes fell on Ariana, his mouth staying slightly agape as he stared at her, all sounds fading from his mouth. Ariana would have been pleased at his sudden silence if it wasn’t for the odd way he was staring at her now and the way it made her stomach sink.

 

“What? What did they find? Another body?” Scott asked, concern growing on his face as he moved towards Stiles.

 

Stiles swallowed hard, nodding his head in several sharp movements. His odd expression only grew as he continued to look at Ariana. “Yeah, um. Well they found a body near an old big tree stump in the woods…”

 

“You mean the Nemeton?” Scott interrupted.

 

Stiles nodded again, this time a little more impatiently. “Of course it was the Nemeton. This is Beacon Hills. What other tree would it be?” he shot at Scott, his expression briefly shifting from pity into one of sarcasm as he glanced at his best friend.

 

“Whose body was it?” Liam asked curiously from beside Ariana, his arms now folded across his chest.

 

It was like Ariana knew what Stiles would say before he even opened his mouth again, as her heartbeat began to increase. As if her body had worked it out before her brain even had time to comprehend it. Ariana’s hands twitched slightly in anticipation, the earthquake already hovering at the end of her fingertips, waiting.

 

Finally Stiles locked eyes with Ariana, inhaling deeply before he spoke. “It was Violet.”

 

And then the ground began to shake below them.


	17. Focus

“You don’t have to do this right now.”

 

Genevieve inhaled deeply as she stared at the slightly run down house in front of her, taking in the overgrown weeds brushing against the footpath leading up to the front door. “Yes I do. No point putting it off,” she said, pushing an extra ounce of determination into her voice although she wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself or the tall werewolf standing doubtfully by her side.

 

If she was perfectly honest, Genevieve was fairly sure no one in her foster home would even realise she’d been gone all weekend, much less worrying about her. Chances were she would walk inside and no one would even bat an eyelash. That was the perk of being one of ten foster children under one roof. There were already too many loud voices and personalities that there just wasn’t enough time to pay attention to the small redhead.

 

Brett seemed unsure though, folding his arms across his chest as he narrowed his eyes, studying the house quietly. “I can come in with you, if you need. Help you pack up so you can get out of there quicker,” he offered again, glancing down at her.

 

Genevieve whirled her head beside her to look up at Brett, flashing the tall werewolf a warm smile. “I’ll be fine, Brett. I don’t have much stuff anyway so I won’t take long.” She offered him a shrug, eyes pleading with him not to push the issue. He didn’t push though, just nodding and returning her smile with one equally warm and kind.

 

Honestly as terrifying as becoming a werewolf was, and how uncertain Genevieve suddenly felt, something about Brett made her feel a little more at ease. He’d been quick to take Genevieve under his wing as soon as Satomi brought her into the pack and for that Genevieve was incredibly grateful, not just because of how much he reminds her of a Greek God. He was one of the first people to treat her with respect in a long time and his patience as he explained the ins and outs of being a werewolf had made this new chaotic world a little less scary.

 

Brett had mentioned Genevieve coming to stay with the pack the other day and while she’d been hesitant to impose, Satomi was quick to agree with her beta. In fact she’d practically insisted that Genevieve join the pack, claiming that it was dangerous to be an omega wolf without a pack. Genevieve had a feeling Satomi had been planning a list of reasons but Genevieve needed little persuading. The sooner she could escape her foster home properly the better. Now all she needed to do was grab her duffel bag and she’d be out.

 

The house was rumbling with noise as Genevieve pushed the front door open, leaving Brett waiting outside looking uneasy. She could hear several voices shouting in the kitchen, probably a couple of the older kids having another argument about who ate the last leftovers as usual, but the sound of raised voices still made her nervous, an number of uncomfortable memories flashing through her mind.

 

Genevieve inhaled slowly as she glanced around, taking in the peeling wallpaper and the cracks running up across the ceiling, all hints of a house that may have been loved once but was now just overcrowded. Biting her lip, Genevieve moved forwards, eyes darting down the corridor to see if she could spot any moving shadows.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

 

Genevieve snapped her head towards the harsh voice coming from the living area. As soon as she spotted her current foster carer Kathryn she quickly folded her hands in front of herself, trying to ignore the way her heartbeat increased slightly. Kathryn was sitting in her usual couch by the window, a bag of crisps in one hand and a magazine sitting on her lap. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a messy ponytail although half her hair had already fallen back out and was sitting unkempt around her face, framing her suspicious expression.

 

“Um, nothing?” Genevieve offered, shifting her weight across her feet uneasily. Kathryn had a knack for accusing the kids of things before she even had reason and the last thing Genevieve needed right now was to be sent to the bedroom for the rest of the day. She just needed to get in and get out.

 

Kathryn pursed her thin lips up at Genevieve, although the gesture was somewhat ruined by the crisp she was shoving into her mouth at the same time. “You’re looking shifty,” she said after a moment of studying the redhead. “You wanna be honest, kid?”

 

“Um, I was just wondering if it would be okay if I stay at a friend’s place for a few nights?” Genevieve managed to get out, hating the way her voice faded out at the end of her question, her eyes boring a hole in the floor as she tried to stay calm. The last thing she needed was to get agitated and trigger a shift. Satomi had said a number of things could cause her to shift - anything from fright to anger - especially since she didn’t have full control of herself right now and turning into a werewolf in the middle of the living area didn’t sound like a great plan.

 

Kathryn seemed unimpressed by Genevieve. “Why?” she asked bluntly.

 

Genevieve thought quickly, well aware that explaining that she needed to stay with Satomi’s pack for supernatural reasons probably wouldn’t go down well with Kathryn. “We have a group assignment due soon so I figured if I stay at their place we can get it done quicker. And um, it means you have one less mouth to feed here!” she offered, glancing up hopefully at Kathryn.

 

“Fine, whatever. Don’t get yourself into trouble or you won’t be coming back.” Kathryn was already turning her attention back to her magazine before she even finished her sentence, a clear hint for Genevieve to leave her alone again.

 

Genevieve didn’t hesitate, nodding quickly with a quiet “Thanks” before she ducked out of the room and headed down the hallway.

 

The girls’ bedroom was surprisingly empty when Genevieve entered and she breathed a small sigh of relief as she stepped over the other mattresses tossed on the floor and made her way towards her mattress pushed up against the far wall. She was fairly sure that throwing a bunch of mattresses on the floor didn’t create a great atmosphere but it did mean that all six girls in the foster home had somewhere to sleep so it wasn’t anything to complain about. Still, Genevieve couldn’t help glancing longingly at the bunk bed opposite her. She’d never been given a chance to sleep in the bunk bed, always overlooked in favour of another louder girl who complained about the thin mattresses first.

 

Genevieve pushed that depressing thought out of her mind though, determined to get out as quickly as possible as she sunk down onto her mattress and started pulling her belongings together. She never bothered unpacking much, not that she had anywhere to unpack here. All she really needed to do was grab her battered copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone from under her pillow and stuff some of the clothes she kept beside the bed back into her duffel bag. Within minutes she was packed up, slinging the worn out bag over her shoulder as she straightened up.

 

She was able to slink back out of the house easily, miraculously not bumping into any of the other kids as she hurried back down the corridor. Part of her wondered if she should say goodbye to any of them, especially since she didn’t know how long she’d be gone, but she wasn’t exactly close to any of these foster kids despite living in this house for two years. She never really bonded with other foster kids very well. The only real foster-kid bond she’d had ended when Ariana abandoned her five years ago. That memory left a bitter taste in Genevieve’s mouth as she swung the front door open, slipping out quickly. She glanced back at the house, pushing the bitterness to the back of her mind. She didn’t need to be sad right now. She needed to be excited, to be hopeful at the chance to get some answers and learn about who she was and what she was capable of.

 

“Alright, let’s go!” Genevieve exclaimed to Brett, trotting down the footpath to where he was waiting against the fence. She watched as his eyes wrinkled slightly, his face pulling into a grin as he looked at her.

 

“That was quick,” Brett remarked, grabbing the duffel bag off Genevieve’s shoulder and throwing it easily over his own.

 

“I don’t have a lot of stuff,” Genevieve said easily, averting her gaze from Brett before he could throw her a pitying expression. He didn’t comment though, just offering a hum of understanding as they walked along side by side.

 

“Can you hear that?” Genevieve stopped suddenly in her tracks after a few moments of comfortable silence. She frowned as she felt her ears prickling at a faint rumbling she couldn’t quite place. It was as if she was hearing something before her brain could process what it was. She glanced up to catch Brett’s eye, taking in the way his eyebrow creased slightly as he stared out into the distance. He shook his head slowly but he seemed uneasy, like he could sense something wrong too.

 

They both stood still, the two werewolves waiting for something they couldn’t quite place. A moment later, the rumbling Genevieve had heard manifested itself as the ground below them began to tremble.

 

“It’s an earthquake,” Brett declared finally, reaching out to grab Genevieve’s hand to hold her still, an odd move since she certainly wasn’t about to run anywhere in the middle of an earthquake. Still she took comfort in the physical contact, squeezing his hand back.

 

They stayed where they were, hand in hand, as the rumbling grew louder. All around them the chaos increased as several flocks of birds swooped overhead. Genevieve could see the houses around them visibly shaking and sending clouds of dust into the air.

 

Finally the world stilled around them, and there was a heavy silence as the two werewolves stood watching the dust settle once more.

 

“Man, how did you pick that so quickly? I mean you heard it before I did…” Brett turned to stare down at Genevieve, slightly in awe. “Satomi was right, your abilities are crazy sharp.”

 

“Is that not normal?” Genevieve asked. “I mean, normal for a werewolf?”

 

“Not a new werewolf.” Brett said, his brow furrowing slightly as he studied her.

 

Genevieve pondered on that for a moment, wondering if she needed to be worried at all. “Weird,” she offered finally. “More importantly, what was that earthquake? We haven’t had an earthquake in ages. I wonder what caused it? Do you think it was something supernatural?”

 

Brett just let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he quickly assured her, “Sorry Gen. It’s California. I think earthquakes are just nature’s way of acting up. Nothing supernatural about that.”

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“Ari, Ari are you alright? Ari?”

 

Ariana let out a groan as she opened her eyes, blinking quickly as she took in the swarm of bodies crowded over her. “What- what happened?” she asked groggily, shifting her body as she realised she had somehow ended up on the floor. Liam was crouching on one side of her, his blue eyes dark with worry, while Scott watched her carefully from her other side.

 

There was a silence for a moment following her question and Ariana’s gaze flickered around the group, waiting for someone to start explaining. She remembered Stiles’ face, the way Violet’s name fell from his lips. But that was about all she remembered. Any reason for her now lying on the ground was blank in her mind, although she had a sinking feeling whatever had happened next wasn’t good. Finally Liam inhaled deeply, a frown sinking onto his face as he focused on her.

 

“I think you started to create another earthquake, and it kept getting bigger…but then it just stopped? And then you passed out,” Liam explained clumsily as he helped her stand up. Ariana kept a grip on his hand once she was standing, half afraid that if she let go she would fall apart again. She still felt a little shaky, although the tremors seemed to have stopped. Still, something felt off as if she wasn’t fully in control yet.

 

“Yeah it was kind of awesome,” Stiles quipped, flashing her a grin, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Terrifying but awesome.”

 

Scott threw Stiles a glare to shut him up, ignoring Malia’s hum of agreement, although the edge of his mouth twitched in the beginning of a smile before he pushed it down again and faced Ariana. “Are you okay?” he asked.

 

Ariana glanced down at herself, pulling one hand from Liam’s to examine it. She flexed both hands uneasily, looking back to Scott. Her hands were still now, thankfully. “I think so. I don’t know how I stopped it though,” she said, her voice wavering slightly and she took a deep breath to steady herself again.

 

“That’s okay, more importantly we need to figure out how Vi-“ he broke off suddenly, his gaze turning a little uneasy as he turned back to Ariana.

 

“You mean how my best friend’s body ended up at some weird tree?” she shot out bluntly, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Sorry, didn’t want to trigger another earthquake,” Scott said, having the decency to look a little abashed. “We still don’t know how you started that last one. And I know it must be hard thinking about her.” Scott’s voice was softer, and something about his tone made Ariana want to burst into tears, to just nod her head and sink to the floor, to let the loss of her best friends overwhelm her entirely.

 

But instead she jutted her chin out, folding her arms across her chest as Liam shifted his weight uneasily beside her. “I think I’ll manage,” she said, her tone coming across little cooler than she intended. As much as she was grateful for Scott’s empathy, the fact that he was partially responsible for Garrett and Violet’s deaths didn’t slip her mind.

 

Scott seemed momentarily confused by her tone, a crease appearing in his brow as he studied her. Finally he ran a hand through his dark hair, nodding slowly. “Okay, well it’s definitely not a coincidence that Violet’s body was taken there. I know Liam told you I found her, but she was already…” Scott broke off, focusing on Ariana before pushing on. “well she was already dead when I got to her. And Kate must have moved her after we left…” he mused as he began to pace up and down the room.

 

Ariana nodded along, her brain firmly pushing back any resurfacing memories of that night, not wanting to relive Violet’s final moments again. Instead she sunk down onto the couch, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them tightly as she focused on her breathing. Liam joined her after a brief moment, one hand reaching out to brush against her leg to comfort her.

 

Stiles had joined Scott in his pacing now, the two of them moving up and down the room in sync, an image that could’ve been comical if Ariana wasn’t so distressed right now.

 

“But why would Kate do that? Some kind of sacrifice? I mean Kate isn’t a druid so would that even work? What’s her plan?” Stiles asked as he spun on his heels, his hands already gesturing wildly as he thought aloud. 

 

Ariana clutched knees a little tighter, Kate’s words from the other night ringing back through her mind. _‘Just following orders.’_ Was she really behind this? Had she really moved Violet’s body after Scott left the warehouse? Or was there someone else, someone higher up in this chain of chaos? And why would they move her to the Nemeton? Whatever that was?

 

“Hang on, what exactly is the Nemeton again?” Ariana asked, the odd term catching in her brain. “You said Violet was found at the Nemeton. That’s the big tree Jennifer Blake died on, right?”

 

“Yep, it’s kind of responsible for a lot of crap in Beacon Hills.” Stiles answered her, giving a vague shrug as if that explained everything. “I mean I don’t fully understand it but it’s like a supernatural beacon, or something? The last time we combined the Nemeton and dead bodies, Jennifer Blake caused a lot of damage.”

 

“Maybe Kate killed Violet for a reason then? Maybe she’s planning something?” Liam offered from beside Ariana, causing her to stiffen up slightly. He noticed, glancing at her with an apologetic expression. He must have assumed she was upset at the mention of Violet’s death, which was reasonable of course. He had no reason to think that Kate wasn’t the one responsible at all. He had no idea that it was Ariana who had walked away carrying the bloodied dagger.

 

Scott seemed to consider Liam’s plan, frowning slightly as he halted in his pacing. “It’s definitely possible but whatever it is…I don’t think it’s going to be good,” he said, his tone grave as he looked around at the pack.

 

“So what’s the plan then?” Malia finally spoke up, interrupting the tense moment.

 

“I think we need to go to Deaton,” Scott said finally, his tone grave as he looked down at Ariana, the crease still present although his confusion was replaced with concern. “How about you and I go tomorrow after school, Ari? I mean he’s a druid too so maybe he’ll know how you can control your abilities, and maybe he can shed some light on the Nemeton’s involvement here.”

 

“But we have the bonfire tomorrow,” Ariana protested, sinking back into the couch a little further. She wasn’t sure why she was so reluctant to speak to Deaton. Maybe it was his unsettling vibe, the way he seemed to know so much more than he let on and he was waiting for the right moment to reveal his knowledge. Or maybe it was the sinking feeling in her stomach that told her Violet’s death was part of something bigger. Something bad.

 

“It’s fine, I can take you there afterwards,” Scott assured Ariana. She glanced helplessly at Liam, her eyes begging him to come up with some excuse to get her out of this, but he only shrugged back, offering a squeeze of her hand in comfort.

 

Realising she had no other choice, Ariana sighed and nodded reluctantly, ignoring the smile of relief slipping up onto Scott’s face. She had to admit it would be nice to actually know more about what she was. Maybe Deaton could shed some light on the earthquakes she kept creating, and maybe he could help put a stop to them before she brought down Beacon Hills all together.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

By the time school finished the next day Ariana could feel her entire stomach churning and she was beginning to worry that she may have actually managed to twist her insides into one big knot. She wasn’t sure about the extent of her abilities but it certainly felt like a good possibility judging on how queasy she currently felt as she walked down the corridor with Liam.

 

Mason still wasn’t speaking to her either, which really didn’t help calm the small druid down. Usually when she was feeling anxious she knew she could go to Mason to calm her down, but every time she was near him now she had no idea what to say. Instead she chose to keep her distance, sticking close to Liam as much as possible. She knew she’d have to talk to Mason eventually, but right now she just wasn’t prepared for any more hostility from her best friend. Of course she felt bad about to replying to his text earlier, but it was hard to explain exactly why she’d been preoccupied. _‘Sorry I was too busy trying to save Violet and then stabbing her in the chest instead’_ didn’t exactly roll off the tongue well and Ariana had a feeling he wouldn’t believe her anyway.

 

She’d hoped to somehow convince Liam to come with her and Scott to the clinic, but he’d hurried away from her locker after class, claiming he needed to talk to Mason before the bonfire. Maybe he was going to try and calm Mason down and get him to see reason so Ariana wouldn’t have to do it herself.

 

“Hey, you ready to go?” Scott broke Ariana’s train of thought as he appeared beside her with almost no warning, causing her to jump slightly.

 

“No but I don’t really have a choice,” she said, shrugging her shoulders as she began to follow Scott down the corridor and towards the carpark.

 

The car ride to Deaton’s was quiet, almost painfully so. Scott attempted to make a bit of small talk, asking Ariana about her day, but her stomach was too tightly wound to really give much of an answer. Scott seemed to understand though, turning the radio up instead.

 

Deaton was in his back room examining some kind of powder when Scott and Ariana walked inside, Scott walking behind Ariana as if he was trying to make sure she didn’t suddenly bolt the other way. Not that she could anyway. She knew Scott had enhanced speed as a werewolf so it wasn’t like she could just outrun him.

 

“Hey Deaton?” Scott called out as they turned the corner into the back room, throwing one hand up into a casual wave. “We’re here!”

 

The druid-slash-veterinarian glanced up at the sound of Scott’s voice, a gentle smile immediately warming his face as he locked eyes with Scott. His gaze shifted across to Ariana as he offered her a small nod. “Ah, Ariana. I hear we’re having some control issues?” His tone was calm but Ariana was observant and she noticed the way his eyes narrowed slightly, studying her.

 

Scott hesitated slightly, glancing down at Ariana. “Yeah, well I don’t know if you noticed the mild earthquake yesterday?”

 

Deaton frowned as he nodded slowly. “Yes of course. It affected almost half of Beacon Hills county…That was Ariana?”

 

Ariana’s eyes widened slightly, taking in the mild shock on Deaton’s face. She hadn’t realised the true extent of the earthquake she’d caused. Of course she knew it had bigger than the last few, and she’d heard a few kids talking about it earlier in the school corridor, but she assumed they must have just lived near Scott. She didn’t realise she was capable of disturbing an entire county. Maybe she needed help after all.

 

“I figured maybe it was time we actually talked to you about it all,” Scott said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I mean I know it’s been crazy lately, but Ariana should know more about what she is. Plus, I’m kind of curious myself,” he added with a bashful shrug.

 

Deaton paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts as he moved around the bench, folding his hands together calmly before he began to speak. “Well Druids come from the Ancient Celtics, which is where the word comes from. Druid is Celtic for ‘Wise Oak’, and the druids were known to be remarkable healers and scholars in their communities. They had the abilities to connect to nature and the elements in ways that an ordinary person could not,” Deaton explained slowly, watching as Ariana listened closely.

 

“Okay, but what about now? I’ve never even heard of a druid before,” Ariana remarked, frowning as she leaned her weight against the bench, her arms folded lightly across her chest as she tried to follow along.

 

Deaton nodded at her question, a small calm smile appearing on his face. “Well we don’t like to draw too much attention to ourselves these days, much like other supernatural creatures. We exist now to keep a balance between the supernatural and the ordinary and our role tends to involve staying low profile. But our abilities remain much the same as they always have. With the right focus and practice, you’ll find we have plenty of useful skills.”

 

Ariana’s eyes widened a little as her brain began to kick into overdrive. “You mean like werewolves with heightened senses? That kind of skill?”

 

Scott raised a curious eyebrow from across the room, apparently equally in the dark about these skills. It was odd, considering he claimed to know Deaton for a while but somehow seemed to have no idea of the veterinarian’s full abilities.

 

Deaton just chuckled though, clearly amused. “Well not quite to the extent of wolves, but we do have a few tricks up our sleeves. Ours do not come without a price though. Werewolves have the gift of heightened senses such as hearing, smell and speed, but these all come naturally to them. As druids, our abilities rely on our connection to nature and the earth around us. We can access the ability to heal ourselves and others, but it takes great concentration and we require some kind of power source to draw our powers from.”

 

“Power source? Like the Nemeton?” Ariana straightened up a little as she spoke. As anxious as she felt, she couldn’t help being curious. She was pleased as Deaton smiled back at her, nodding.

 

“Yes indeed, the Nemeton is a particularly powerful source of power for druids, but we have other options too. We can harness the telluric currents in the earth, or we can draw energy from the full moon.” Deaton opened his mouth to continue but stopped himself, quickly closing it again.

 

Ariana noticed though, narrowing her eyes. “What? What else?”

 

Deaton sighed, dropping his head a little for a moment as he hesitated. 

 

“Human Sacrifices,” Scott spoke up from the corner, his chin jutted out defiantly as he watched Deaton closely. “That’s how Jennifer harnessed so much power. She committed several sacrifices.”

 

Ariana whipped her head back to stare at Deaton, an eyebrow raised. “Is that true?”

 

Deaton nodded. “Yes, blood sacrifices do provide a certain level of power for druids, but to commit such a sacrifice is to defy a druid’s purpose. We exist to keep the balance, not to create chaos,” he explained gravely.

 

Ariana was quiet for a moment as her brain attempted to process everything. It was a lot to take in, knowing she had the ability to harness so much power. The concept of performing blood sacrifices was a bit too intense for her to comprehend though, and honestly she had more important things to worry about right now anyway. “Okay, so no blood sacrifices. Got it. What about the earthquakes though? How did I do that?” she asked, tilting her head curiously as she looked at Deaton.

 

“I’d say it’s because you don’t currently have full control of your abilities and your body doesn’t understand how to channel that power,” Deaton explained calmly. “When your emotions are heightened you may find that your body channels the earth in an attempt to ground yourself. Because you don’t have full control and knowledge yet, you’re just sending your unstable energy into the ground, causing those earthquakes.”

 

Ariana nodded slowly as she processed this, neither comforted or distressed by this information. She supposed it was good to finally have explanation, even though Deaton wasn’t exactly offering tips on how to prevent more earthquakes, other than controlling her emotions which was easier said than done these days.

 

After another quiet moment, Scott shifted from his position in the corner, stepping forward as he cleared his throat to speak. “There’s something else, Deaton. The police found a body near the Nemeton. It was Ariana’s friend Violet. The one Kate killed at the warehouse.”

 

Ariana glanced down, conscious of the way her heartbeat stuttered as her mind flashed back to that night. Before she could lose herself in the way her hands felt, covered in her best friend’s blood, she pulled her gaze back up to Deaton who was watching her carefully. Could he tell? Did he know the awful secret she was pushing down? Could he sense the guilt eating away at her insides? He was frowning as he studied her, until finally he spoke.

 

“That’s definitely odd indeed. I’m afraid I don’t have the answers right now, but leave it with me. I’ll see what I can find out…” Deaton trailed off, his tone slightly more vague than Ariana would have preferred. Scott seemed unsurprised though. He was clearly used to Deaton’s unsatisfying responses, something Ariana was going to have to get used to.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

“Hey Genevieve!” Brett’s younger sister Lorilee sidled up to Genevieve after Satomi dismissed them from tonight’s little pack meeting. The tiny blonde wolf wore a wide grin on her face, her bright blue eyes sparkling as she sat down, her knees bumping comfortably against Genevieve’s own. Genevieve had ended up sitting on a little couch on Satomi’s back porch, watching as the other betas ran around the backyard, engaging in some late night training and mock fighting. They all seemed very close and part of Genevieve longed to be a part of it, but she was too new and too shy to actually approach anyone herself. Luckily Lori had noticed, approaching her instead.

 

“So have you remembered anything else about the night your alpha yet? The one who bit you the other night?” Lori asked, running a hand through her short blonde hair as she turned to look expectantly at her new friend.

 

Genevieve bit her lip, glancing down at the hard dirt below them. “Nope, nothing yet,” she said quietly, shaking her head. It was frustrating, not remembering anything about the most important night of her life so far. Satomi had promised her that she just needed to stay calm and focused and let the memories flood back to her, but Satomi clearly didn’t suffer from anxiety and didn’t realise that remaining calm right now was incredibly hard for the tiny redhead.

 

Lori seemed unperturbed by Genevieve’s disappointment though, shrugging her shoulders lightly. “I’m sure you will soon! And if not Satomi can definitely help you out.”

 

“What if I don’t though? I mean I feel like I’d remember getting attacked by a wolf. I just don’t get why I can’t remember anything…” Genevieve trailed off, lifting her head up to stare towards the dark sky. It was a clear night and the stars were more visible than usual which should have instilled a sense of calm in her, but her brain was too overwhelmed with her new heightened senses, and the millions of theories of how these changes had occurred. Who was the alpha that had bitten her? And why couldn’t she remember anything about them?

 

“Do you remember when you got bitten?” Genevieve asked Lori suddenly, glancing at her curiously when it occurred to her that maybe it was not the most polite thing to ask a werewolf she barely knew. Was it a rude question? Was it offensive, like asking someone how they lost a limb, or how someone gained a scar?

 

The realisation that she may have just offended Lori suddenly horrified Genevieve and her eyes widened, her mouth opening to spurt out a list of apologies, when an assuring grin appeared on Lori’s face.

 

“It’s fine, but um…I wasn’t actually bitten. I was born a werewolf, just like Brett. Our parents were both werewolves before they died, so the gene was passed onto us too,” Lori explained.

 

Genevieve hadn’t even realised werewolves could be born that way, although it certainly made sense. It just highlighted how little she knew about werewolves though, and the concept was a little daunting as she continued to mull it over. She was about to open her mouth to ask more questions, when Brett suddenly appeared in front of the two girls.

 

“Hey, Lori stop boring Genevieve!” he declared, grinning down at them. Genevieve hadn’t realised just how tall he was until he was towering over them though, and he seemed to realise how intimidating he looked, crouching down until he was basically the same level as them.

 

Lori threw her brother a mock glare. “I was being very interesting, thank you! Better than you just running off and leaving her alone!” she shot at him, smirking as Brett opened his mouth in defence. He paused though, glancing back at Genevieve with a soft smile.

 

“Whatever, I was just letting Genevieve have a moment to absorb everything. Anyway, wanna go for a walk?” he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

 

Genevieve frowned at him, a little confused. “Now? But it’s late. Is that even safe? Satomi just said in the pack meeting tonight that people are after us because of that list…” She didn’t fully understand what was happening, but Genevieve had managed to work out that there was some hit list of werewolves, her name included. It wasn’t exactly a welcoming start to becoming a werewolf.

 

Brett and Lori exchanged an amused glance, before Brett shook his head. “We’re werewolves. We’ll be the most dangerous things out there so I think we’ll be okay for now,” he explained, straightening up and reaching out a hand to help Genevieve to her feet. She accepted his hand warmly, noting the way he didn’t let go right away as they headed off, Lori skipping along beside Genevieve with a wide beam on her lips. If this was Genevieve’s new life, she had to admit it wasn’t so bad.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

Ariana felt the heavy thump of the bass before she even saw the crowds of students swarming the bonfire, the music vibrating through her bones in a way that vaguely reminded her of the earthquake she’d caused only hours ago. It didn’t exactly put her at ease but she pushed the thought away quickly, focusing instead on her current search for her boyfriend. She followed Scott uneasily, doing her best to dodge the sloppy students who seemed intent on bumping into her as they attempted to dance.

 

She could see a few of Siobhan’s annoying minions doing something that was probably meant to be dancing but ultimately looked more like a tragedy, although Siobhan was still absent which was odd. Usually this kind of event would see Siobhan at the centre of the crowd, leading the drinking, dancing and general chaos. Ariana pursed her lips as Kennedy Carter, Siobhan’s current right hand bitch, let out a particularly obnoxious scream, holding her red cup up high and promptly spilling half of it. No wonder Siobhan was absent. She’d probably realised how embarrassing this scene looked.

 

“Malia?” Scott called out, swerving to the left suddenly. Ariana glanced over to where he was headed, taking in the sight of the werecoyote who was dancing on her own, red cup in hand. Malia was swaying to the music, barely even glancing over at the sound of Scott’s voice. Ariana stopped in her tracks, watching as Scott leaned close to talk to Malia, apparently forgetting all about the small druid.

 

Ariana pursed her lips, silently debating whether it was worth joining Malia and Scott, especially since she didn’t know anyone else here so far, but their discussion was beginning to look a little intense and Ariana was pretty sure she’d had enough intense discussions today. Her head was still reeling a little from the information Deaton had thrown at her today, and now all she wanted was to find her boyfriend and dance a little. She’d definitely earned that much after the last few days.

 

Luckily it wasn’t hard to find him and after a few minutes of wandering around the bonfire, Ariana spotted Liam at a table with Mason. Ariana was just a few steps away from the two boys when she caught ear of their conversation. She felt bad eavesdropping but as she tuned into Mason’s voice, she couldn’t help hovering behind him, just out of sight but close enough to hear his words.

 

“…Maybe then when I ask you what’s going on, you’ll be too drunk to lie. I’m not asking because I wanna know. I’m asking because I want to help. Come on man, we should be celebrating!” Mason said loudly as he nodded for Liam to keep drinking.

 

“Celebrating what?” Liam seemed confused, although his words were vaguely slurred, the alcohol apparently having an effect on him after all.

 

Mason leaned back a little, surprised at Liam’s question. “The fact that we’re safe!”

 

Ariana swayed slightly on the spot, Mason’s words washing over her along with a sense of pending fear. How exactly were they safe? Clearly Mason knew nothing about the deadpool that was currently sitting wide open, putting both her and Liam in danger. She was hardly safe. But Mason had no reason to feel unsafe in the first place, so his words seemed odd.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Come on, Liam. I mean Violet and Garrett are both gone. We should be partying like crazy but instead you’re just moping around. Even Siobhan’s cronies are having more fun than us and their leader has been M.I.A since Saturday!”

 

“Our friends are dead and you want to celebrate? Are you serious, Mason?” Ariana was unable to stop herself, cutting into the conversation sharply.

 

Mason whirled around to stare at her while Liam turned a little more slowly, his entire body swaying slightly before he managed to steady himself with one hand on Mason’s shoulder, his face lighting up a little as he spotted Ariana. He seemed completely oblivious to the tension rising in front of him. 

 

“No, two murderers who lied to us for who-knows-how-long are dead. Very different situation. We don’t even know how many people they even killed, or how long they were doing it for! For all we know, their entire friendship with us was just a cover so they wouldn’t get caught. I’m not going to feel bad for the town being a little safer,” Mason said defiantly, his hands waving around as he talked just as they always did whenever he was getting agitated.

 

His words cut too deep and Ariana felt her body stumble back in shock. She’d been so prepared to defend Violet and Garrett but she hadn’t realised she’d be defending herself too. A small part of her mind couldn’t help picking up on the hatred in Mason’s voice, the way he was so quick to write off their closest friends because of their questionable actions. Would he turn against her like that too if he knew the whole truth? The possibility made Ariana’s stomach twist and she took a shaky breath, her arms wrapping around her body.

 

“Their friendship wasn’t a lie. Not to me,” she managed to get out finally, her eyes shifting to Liam who was sitting back looking quite amicable despite the tension in front of him. “Thanks for the support,” Ariana shot towards him, feeling a hint of satisfaction at the way Liam’s eyes widened a little. He opened his mouth to defend himself but shrugged instead, taking another swig out of the bottle in his hand. Useless.

 

Not wanting to linger any longer at the risk of another earthquake, Ariana threw Mason one last look, her dark eyes narrowed with disappointment, before flouncing off, her hair whipping out behind her as she charged her way through the swarm of students still partying hard.

 

“Ow!”

 

Ariana was halfway across the bonfire when she felt her shoulder collide with something hard. She winced slightly as she looked up to see who had spoken, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the wide eyed boy in front of her, currently rubbing his own shoulder.

 

“Corey! Sorry, I totally didn’t see you there!” Ariana exclaimed. She didn’t talk to Corey much but she definitely recognised him from some of their classes. He was one of the quiet kids, usually sitting in the back rows to avoid attention. She was fairly sure he’d borrowed her Bio notes a few times last semester, but he’d always been super nice about asking her for them, unlike other kids who liked to demand them as if they were somehow entitled to her notes.

 

Corey just shrugged through, offering her a lopsided smile. “Nah, it’s okay. Happens more than you think. Hey you okay, Ariana?” he asked, frowning a little as his eyes quickly moved over her, taking in the way she was clutching herself a little too tight, her eyes shining a little with tears from her confrontation with Mason.

 

Blinking back the tears, Ariana nodded hurriedly. “Yep, I’m fine! All good,” she assured him, pulling a fake smile onto her lips. Luckily it was convincing enough for Corey who just nodded and smiled back.

 

Ariana was about to duck away, to go find something alcoholic to drown her miserable night in, when Corey stopped her tentatively.

 

“Oh by the way, have you seen Gen anywhere?” he asked.

 

“Jen? Jen who?” Ariana frowned, trying to figure out who exactly Corey was talking about. She didn’t know of any Jennifers in her classes, unless he was talking about a sophomore perhaps.

 

Corey just nodded his head though, his wide eyes looking hopeful. “Carey. Genevieve Carey?”

 

Ariana felt a scowl cross her face. “Ugh, why is everyone asking me about her?” she asked aloud, briefly glaring upwards in annoyance. First Lucas rang her to ask about Genevieve and now Corey.

 

“Everyone?” Corey seemed confused, understandably, and she felt a tiny bit bad for snapping at him. Corey had the kind of face that made it hard to be rude, even if Ariana was feeling increasingly frustrated.

 

“Never mind,” Ariana brushed it off quickly, shaking her head. “But I don’t even talk to her so no I don’t know where she is, sorry.”

 

“That’s okay! I just thought I’d ask since you’d probably recognise her if you saw her. She said she might come along tonight but she wasn’t at school today…It’s fine though. She’s probably lurking around somewhere…” Corey shrugged easily, his eyes scanning the crowd around the bonfire for a sign of Genevieve’s vivid red hair.

 

Before Ariana could say anything else, not that she knew what else to say since she really didn’t want to get invested in some search for someone who didn’t even speak to her anymore, the two of them were interrupted by Scott running up to them.

 

“Ari, I need your help,” Scott said urgently as he reached out to tug Ariana along with him, his eyes a little wild and frantic with worry.

 

Ariana tugged her arm out of Scott’s grip, frowning up at him. “Why? What’s wrong?”

 

“Just…I just need you to come with me.” When Ariana didn’t budge, instead folding her arms and glaring back at him, Scott let out a sigh of frustration. “It’s Liam, okay?” he said quietly, giving her a look of urgency. She sighed, flashing Corey a half smile before following Scott back towards where she’d left Liam and Mason.

 

Ariana was fairly sure she’d only left the boys alone for a few minutes, so she was definitely a little alarmed to see how out of it Liam seemed now, with Malia sitting a few feet away looking equally glassy-eyed. Liam didn’t even glance up at Ariana as she stood in front of him, wide eyed with growing concern. Mason was sitting beside Liam and he frowned a little at Ariana’s reappearance but he didn’t say anything, quickly focusing his gaze on Scott instead. Great, so apparently she and Mason weren’t on speaking terms anymore. It stung, but Ariana couldn’t shake the way Mason had practically spat out the names of their best friends earlier. Maybe this was for the best.

 

“How much has he had?” Scott asked Mason as he crouched down to examine Liam, frowning as Liam vaguely swatted away the water bottle Scott had just tried to hand him.

 

“Well Mason has practically been pouring vodka down his throat,” Ariana said bluntly as she raised a defiant eyebrow at Mason, daring him to argue back.

 

“Not enough to get him like this,” Mason defended himself, indicating to Liam who was now attempting to stand up. He clearly had no sense of balance though and promptly tipped onto the ground with a grunt. Scott sighed, helping him back onto the seat again.

 

“Scott? What’s going on?” Ariana leaned down to hiss at him. He seemed worried, a little more worried than she’d expected him to be over a few drunk friends.

 

Scott glanced up at her, lowering his voice so only she could hear him. “Alcohol shouldn’t even affect him at all. Or Malia. Our bodies heal too quickly. Something’s wrong…”

 

Ariana’s eyes gazed over Liam and Malia, taking in just how drunk they seemed. “Is it…it’s not poison is it?” she asked slowly, glancing at the abandoned bottle Liam had left on the ground. She picked it up, sniffing it slightly to see if she could detect any familiar poisons. There was nothing though, just the overpowering scent of some kind of alcohol. The smell made Ariana’s eyes water slightly and she coughed, hurriedly putting the bottle back down.

 

“Look, something’s happening,” Scott said, glancing at both Ariana and Mason. “We need to get them out of here. I think we’re gonna…we’re gonna have to..”

 

Ariana frowned as she watched Scott sway slightly on the spot, his hands held out in front of him as if he was trying to steady himself, but he just swayed even more. Something was wrong.

 

Mason seemed equally concerned, reaching out to grip Scott’s arm, keeping him steady. “How much did you drink?” he asked Scott, raising an eyebrow.

 

Scott glanced up at him for a moment, struggling to focus on Mason’s face as he blinked. “Nothing. Not even a sip.”

 

“Uh…” Mason glanced up at Ariana, a look of helplessness crossing his face. Ariana shrugged back, her mind whirling into overdrive. If Scott was sober then that meant it wasn’t a poison. Something else was happening, and Ariana was completely lost as to what. Scott seemed to have an idea though, despite his distorted state of mind. He was straightening up to stare over at the DJ, his glassy eyes widening.

 

“It’s not the drinks…It’s the music,” Scott said quietly as he leaned close to Ariana, blinking rapidly as he struggled to stay focused on her face. Ariana stared back at him, frowning as she tried to work out what he meant. Then it clicked.

 

“Binaural beats,” Ariana breathed out, her eyes widening in understanding.

 

Glancing back at Mason, Scott managed to pull a serious expression onto his face, pointing at Malia and Liam. “I have to turn off the music. Don’t let them out of your sight,” he warned Mason, giving Ariana a nod as he went to move off, apparently believing he was in a decent enough state of mind to go alone. As much as Ariana still held a lot of hostility toward him, she wasn’t an idiot. There was no way he’d make it to the speakers safely without collapsing, given the way he was already struggling to stay steady.

 

Ariana stepped forwards. “I’m coming with you. I feel fine and you don’t. Don’t argue with me,” she said firmly, ignoring the way Scott went to protest. Turning back to Mason, she gave him a fierce glare as she spoke. “Don’t let anything happen to Liam.”

 

She didn’t give Mason a chance to question her, whipping her head around to hurry after Scott who had already stumbled away into the crowd. She wasn’t quite quick enough though, and her heart sank as she spotted Scott a few feet away surrounded by several security guards. He was trying to escape, but it was no use and there were too many people in between them for Ariana to do anything to help. Instead she was stuck watching Scott get dragged away.

 

She stood still for a moment, a feeling of dread washing over her yet again. Then she clicked into gear again. She needed to get back to Liam, Mason and Malia now. Ariana nodded to herself as she pushed her way back through the crowd to the others, ignoring the increasing levels of stress inside. She just needed to get to them and work out the next step later.

 

“They took Scott,” Ariana managed to get out between attempts to catch her breath back as she reached Mason. He was still standing near the table and it wasn’t until Ariana noticed the stricken expression on his face that she realised he was alone.

 

“Yeah they just grabbed Malia and Liam too,” Mason explained a little late, his hands reaching back to rub his neck anxiously. “Ari, what’s going on?”

 

“It’s hard to explain, okay? I just need to unplug the music,” Ariana said swiftly as she began marching towards the speakers, her eyes darkening with determination. There was no time to think about it now. She just needed to move quickly.

 

Mason ran after her, spluttering out vague confused questions which she pointedly ignored until he finally grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. “Ari, Please- I just want to know what’s going on. I want to help, okay? I want to help Liam.”

 

Ariana pursed her lips tightly, eyes narrowing as she studied Mason. She couldn’t tell him the truth, not right now in the middle of a loud and crowded bonfire with hundreds of students who might overhear. She couldn’t tell him the full truth anyway because she’d definitely lose him for good. But Mason was staring at her, wide-eyed and waiting. She had to say something. All she had to do was eliminate any reference to the supernatural. It couldn’t be that hard.

 

“Fine, it’s the music, okay? It’s causing a Binaural Beat and it’s making Liam and the other sick so we need to stop it or it could do serious damage.”

 

Mason stared back, seemingly stupefied at her response. Ariana didn’t know a whole lot about binaural beats but she’d read a bit about them back when she’d been trying to find discreet assassination methods with Garrett and Violet. She’d been skeptical about the science behind it, but it seemed like the best way to explain what was happening right now. And at least she knew enough about binaural beats to talk her way through it easily enough if he pushed for more information, which he would of course because it was Mason. She knew him well enough to know that he was too curious for his own good.

 

Sure enough, a slow frown was appearing on Mason’s face, a surefire hint that a wave of questions were washing through his brain. “Hang on, what kind of beats? What does that even mean? How is the music doing it? Why isn’t anyone else affected?” Mason barely stopped to breathe as he fired his questions at her, not even relenting as Ariana huffed and continued her path to the speakers.

 

“Binaural beats,” Ariana repeated over her shoulder as she pushed her way through the crowd She opened her mouth to continue but was rudely interrupted by a particularly obnoxious whoop by Kennedy whose bleach blonde hair picked this very moment to whip into Ariana’s face. Ariana scowled and powered on, indicating for Mason to follow her. Finally they reached a clearing in the crowd beside the speakers where the volume was a little less intense thanks to the angle.

 

“Okay, explain,” Mason said firmly, holding his hands up to Ariana as if to stop her from moving again, his eyes pleading with her.

 

Pushing a strand of her long hair out of her eyes, Ariana sighed and let her mind trace back to the readings she’d done on binaural beats, working out the best way to explain everything without having to mention any supernatural elements. “Okay, so basically this speaker system is sending different frequencies into each ear and creating a third frequency. A binaural beat. It’s making Liam, Scott and Malia all hallucinate. It’s making them trip out and it can seriously affect their brains. So we need to stop it. Got it?”

 

Mason looked a little more concerned now, but he seemed to believe her. “But how come it’s just them? What about everyone else?” he asked, glancing around at the swarm of tipsy students around them.

 

Ariana let out a huff of frustration. “I don’t know, okay? Maybe it affects people differently. But I mean look around, Mason. Half the kids here have probably only had a few drinks. Look how wasted Kennedy is! The music is screwing with everyone’s heads. So unless you have any other questions, we need to do something right now!”

 

Mason narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, studying her as if he was trying to figure out if she was lying or not. Luckily Ariana had been lying to Mason for months already so she was well practiced, holding his gaze with her own until he finally sighed, dropping his head reluctantly.

 

“Fine, let’s do this- what exactly is it we’re doing?” he asked as he went to move forward before halting suddenly. “Do we have a plan?”

 

Ariana indicated towards where the DJ was currently situated above the crowd. “We need to stop the music. Unplug it or turn it off, I don’t know. We just need to make it stop.”

 

Mason didn’t argue this time, just nodding quickly as Ariana hurried off towards the gigantic speakers. They managed to push their way through the crowd, bumping into several drunk kids who barely seemed to notice them. They reached the speakers and Ariana watched as Mason’s eyes scanned them, pushing past her to step around the speakers until he came to a stop. He glanced up at Ariana, eyes wide with something that looked like hope. Ariana followed him around the corner until she spotted what he was so pleased about. The power cord was right there, just waiting to be yanked out.

 

“Perfect. Alright, here goes nothing,” Ariana declared, reaching down and pulling hard on the cord. But instead of sudden silence, the music continued and the cord remained firmly in the speaker system. “What the heck? It’s stuck…” Ariana glared down at the cord as if she could just tear it in two with a glance. Half of her wondered if she would actually be able to if she understood her powers, but that was a question for another time.

 

“Hang on, let me try,” Mason offered, brushing past her. He pulled hard, but still nothing happened and the cord remained stubbornly plugged in.

 

Ariana watched as Mason tugged uselessly several more times, watching as the frustration grew on his face. It was almost as if someone had jammed it in, making it impossible to unplug.

 

“It’s not budging,” Mason yelled over the thumping music, his eyes wide with a look of utter helplessness. “I can’t stop it!”

 

Ariana narrowed her eyes as she stared at the plug, suddenly wishing she had proper control over her abilities. Instead she was forced to watch Mason straining his muscles as he yanked repeatedly on the cord to no avail.

 

Suddenly Ariana had an idea. She wasn’t exactly sure where it came from, and it felt impossible but it was her only choice right now. “Mason, just pull it again. One more shot,” she demanded loudly. Mason looked up at her, incredulous, but he must have seen something in her eyes that told him not to argue. Instead, he turned back to the system, preparing himself to put all of his energy into one last attempt.

 

Then, right as Mason gripped the cord, Ariana closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. She honestly had no idea what she was doing, or how she was doing it, but she could feel the earth humming below her. Maybe it was just vibrating because of the thumping music, but something felt different. Something felt important. Ariana held her breath for a moment, letting herself focus, listening to the currents seemingly shifting below. Deaton had said she just needed to concentrate, to listen to earth. So she listened.

 

And then she exhaled.

 

Mason pulled on the cord, and Ariana’s eyes flew open in time to see a spark travel up from the ground, onto the speaker. It must have shifted something inside the system, loosening the jammed power cord, and as Mason tugged, the cord finally came undone, flying back into Mason’s hand as he stumbled backwards from the force.

 

Ariana stared at the system as the music came to a sudden halt. There was a second of silence before the drunk students all began booing, but Ariana didn’t pay attention. Instead she stared back at Mason. For a moment, everything was okay. They had done it, they’d stopped the music. They’d worked together and it was okay. Liam would be okay. Ariana beamed at Mason, grateful for the way his eyes shone back at her in relief.

 

“We did it!” Mason said happily, giving a little dorky fist pump into the air. But as he spoke, reality began to seep back into Ariana’s body. Yes, they’d done it because she’d somehow managed to tune into her druid abilities for a moment. But she couldn’t tell Mason that because that would lead to more questions she couldn’t answer. She couldn’t tell him the truth - again.

 

Her smile faded slightly, and she stepped back to create a little distance between them. Mason’s smile faltered as he watched her, the realisation that this hadn’t fixed whatever was happening between them sinking into his mind too. He opened his mouth, maybe to apologise or maybe to argue again, but Ariana was already shaking her head.

 

Without waiting to hear what he had to say, she quickly turned on her heels, hurrying off to find Liam, leaving Mason standing alone amongst the crowd.

 

———————————————————————————————————

 

Genevieve had to admit, there was something about walking between Lori and Brett and listening to the two siblings bickering that felt somewhat comforting. They’d been arguing about Brett’s lacrosse abilities for the last twenty minutes as they wandered through Beacon Hills, Lori determined to convince Genevieve that Brett was only skilled because of his werewolf abilities.

 

“Hey, I can play just fine without even shifting a bit!” Brett defended himself, glancing at Genevieve with wide eyes, as if she was the one accusing him.

 

Lori remained unconvinced. “Yeah? How about you try it some time then? Next time you play Beacon Hills High I want to see you go an entire match without shifting. Not even against McCall.” Lori raised a snarky eyebrow towards Brett, grinning as he glared back at her.

 

“Speaking of Beacon Hills High, here we are!” Lori declared suddenly, indicating ahead towards the building in front of them.

 

Genevieve looked ahead, squinting as she felt the rain beginning to splatter down around them. “I don’t think I’ve ever been at school at night,” she mused aloud, raising a hand above her head to shelter herself from the rain.

 

“Maybe we should grab some cover before it starts bucketing?” Brett offered after a moment, glancing up to the sky, a poor move as the rain seemed to only come down heavier on his face. “Spoke too soon,” he sighed, closing his eyes as he brushed some droplets of water off his face, shaking his head slightly.

 

Genevieve was about to agree with him, to pull Lori and Brett towards the undercover area nearby, when Lori’s eyes widened slightly. Half a second later Lori grabbed Genevieve, tugging her down to the ground without any warning. As Genevieve’s hands flew to the solid concrete below them to steady herself, she felt something brush past her head.

 

Brett ducked down beside them, his eyes narrowing as he attempted to see through the rain which was now pouring down. “Someone else is here…” he said quietly, his arm reaching out to keep the two girls still.

 

A moment later, a swarm of arrows flew over their heads, each getting closer, as if whoever was firing them was moving towards them, getting a better aim with every step.

 

Brett’s eyes glowed bright yellow as he looked up, scanning through the rain to find the source. Finally he seemed to see something, his eyes widening in terror. “Hunters! LORI,GEN. RUN! NOW!”

 

Genevieve didn’t need to be told twice, the panic in Brett’s voice telling her everything she needed to know. She felt her eyes glowing, her vision shifting to become clearer and sharper despite sheets of rain pouring around them.

 

And then she ran.

 


	18. Familiar

Genevieve ran along beside Brett, surprised that she was able to keep up with his long legs but too terrified to actually register anything besides fear as they fled from the hunters. She’d never had to actually run for her life like this before, although the pit in her stomach felt sickeningly familiar. Growing up in several toxic foster homes meant Genevieve was used to the sense of danger, to seeing her life teetering on the edge of an ending, but usually she was just able to curl up and block out the abuse. She could retreat into herself until she blocked out the world around her.

 

But this was different.

 

This was a new kind of danger. This was all adrenaline, all fast moving as she weaved between school buses, ducking as arrows rushed past her. There was no time to think, no time to retreat into her mind. If she let her mind take over, she lost. She knew that much for sure.

 

Her werewolf senses, sharper and clearer than she was used to, had kicked in now although she didn’t really understand how to utilise them. Genevieve could feel her body moving swiftly through the school grounds. Her feet pounded against the hard ground below and she barely had time to process where she was going, just letting her new instincts take over instead.

 

This would have been fine if Genevieve had actually had any control over her new senses. It might have been fine if she knew how to hone her senses properly, to pause and spot the danger before running headfirst. But she was too new and too overwhelmed by the sharp images contrasting with the blur of the rain. Everything seemed too clear, too sharp and she couldn’t process it all fully, her mind racing too fast to absorb it all. It was like a sensory overload, like she was experiencing everything too much.So instead Genevieve just ran until she found herself in the middle of the lacrosse field.

 

“Genevieve! Wait up!” Lori was sprinting out behind Genevieve, her eyes determined as she headed towards the small redhead. “Keep moving!” she shouted out, waving a hand as she ran, indicating for Genevieve to keep moving. But Genevieve was stuck, her hands shaking a little as she glanced down and took in the claws forming. It was if she wasn’t even looking at herself, like she didn’t recognise her own hands. Like they weren’t even a part of her body. She was frozen, her mind coming to an abrupt halt, barely even hearing the way Lori’s voice got louder and more frantic.

 

Lori had reached her now, and she tried to tug on Genevieve to get her to move but it was no use. The redheaded wolf was practically glued to the grass below her feet, unable to be pushed or moved at all as she stood staring at her hands, her breath quickening as a panic attack began to bubble to the surface.

 

“WAIT!”

 

It wasn’t until she heard Brett’s deep voice shout out from across the field that Genevieve was even able to look up, her eyes glowing a bright yellow as she spotted Brett’s tall form sprinting towards her and Lori. But he was too late. As soon as Brett reached the two girls, the lights around the field suddenly snapped on, flooding the field with blinding fluorescent lighting.

 

Despite the rain, Genevieve’s vision were still sharp, and she could make out the red dots darting towards them until they landed on Brett. There were too many red dots to count. They were targets. The three werewolves were outnumbered. They were trapped.

 

“Brett? Brett, what’s happening?” Lori asked, shouting over the heavy downpour of rain. The fear was clear in her voice and it did absolutely nothing to help Genevieve who was still fighting off her panic attack.

 

“Close your eyes,” Brett said after a quiet moment as he tugged both girls behind him. Lori quickly obeyed, closing her eyes tightly shut as she huddled behind her big brother, tugging Genevieve to move behind her as well. Genevieve stumbled, moving without even really thinking as she kept her eyes on Brett. He glanced behind at her, nodding slowly.

 

He was still staring at Genevieve, his warm eyes locked on hers, when Genevieve heard the sound of an arrow shooting towards them. She shot half a smile towards Brett as she clenched her eyes shut, ready for whatever was about to come at her. She’d endured a lot in her life already, so it seemed only fair that she’d reached her limit.

 

But before the arrow could sink into any of the three werewolves, Genevieve heard the sound of a something blocking it, something hard. She snapped her eyes open to see someone standing in front of Brett holding up a sword. Genevieve watched as the arrow fell to the ground, almost in slow motion, before pulling her gaze back to the girl who had just saved them. She was of Asian descent, with long jet black hair and pale skin, a black leather jacket hugging her body tightly as the rain dripped off it.

 

“ _Run_ ,” the girl with the sword shouted out, glancing behind her with a look of steeled determination. Her eyes swiftly looked over Brett and Lori before stopping at Genevieve, a hint of softness slipping into her gaze as she looked at the tiny wolf, eyes still flickering between hazel and gold as she struggled to stay calm, to stay human.

 

But there was something else too, something else keeping her feet to the ground. She couldn’t exactly explain it, but all Genevieve knew was she couldn’t move right now. Even as Brett and Lori sprinted away, Genevieve remained still, staring. The girl stared back at Genevieve, her chest heaving as she squinted through the thick sheets of rain, eyes widening even more if that was possible.

 

“Go,” the girl insisted again, swinging her sword up in anticipation as she turned back on her heel, swiping at an incoming arrow without another second of hesitation.

 

Genevieve didn’t wait this time as something snapped inside her. Instead she nodded, turning to run back the way she’d come, her ears picking up the way the girl’s sword swung at the arrows behind her. The girl seemed to be following not far behind, acting as a shield for Genevieve as she ran, preventing arrows before they even came close to her. Genevieve opened her mouth to thank the girl, but before she had a chance to say anything another arrow rushed past her face, this time almost catching her ear.

 

“Keep going! I’ve got you,” the girl yelled out, her voice straining to be heard over the rain although Genevieve’s hearing was sharp and she heard every word. Her eyes glowed a bright yellow as she inhaled sharply. She locked eyes with the girl, taking in the warmth and overwhelming kindness in her expression. Finally Genevieve nodded quickly before turning to keep running. This time she kept going, running as fast as her body would let her, her feet pounding on the hard ground one step at a time, away from the danger and back to where Brett was waiting up ahead, one hand outstretched towards her.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

Staring at herself in the mirror of Scott’s bathroom, Ariana took a deep breath, studying her face closely. The last few hours had taken a toll on her, more than she had realised until she actually took in her appearance properly. Apparently using her mystery druid abilities was taking up more than just her energy, judging by the dark circles sitting under her eyes, creating a stark contrast to her now pale skin. She practically looked like a ghost right now, even under the make up.

 

Ariana hadn’t really had time to worry about the effect of her druid abilities, but looking at herself now proved it was clearly doing something to her body. She supposed that was a question to bring to Deaton when she saw him next.

 

Luckily the concealer covering the scars of Liam’s attack the other week had held up remarkably well, despite the rain and sweat caused by the stress of tonight’s events. Ariana wasn’t sure how Liam would react if he saw the scars still present, a reminder of the night he’d wolfed out on her. Running a finger lightly over the bruises, Ariana sucked in a breath, wincing as her sensitive skin bristled at the stinging sensation. At least it seemed to be fading a little more even if the pain still remained.

 

She supposed it was fitting, the pain lingering to remind her of that night. To remind her that nothing was the same anymore. She didn’t hate Liam for it of course, even though she knew he still held guilt over hurting her. How could she hate him after everything she had done herself? After the terrible things she’d had to do to survive? It was already exhausting enough hating herself these days, so hating Liam would just be too much.

 

Finally after a few moments of fussing over the bruises, making sure they stayed hidden under the remaining concealer, Ariana ran a hand through her long hair, tugging at a few knots in irritation before stepping back to get a better look at herself. She still looked pale, but less of a wreck now. Having a few moments to herself had given her a chance to breathe, to let the nerves inside her body settle a little. She hadn’t meant to take so long, but as soon as Scott had taken her and Liam back to his, she knew she needed a moment to herself to avoid breaking in front of Liam. He was fragile enough right now after just surviving the assassins. She wasn’t sure what he would do if he saw the cracks in Ariana too.

 

Exhaling heavily, Ariana gave herself a little nod of encouragement before tugging at the door handle, swinging it open and stepping out in time to catch Scott and Liam’s voices in the middle of a conversation.

 

“I’m not like you.”

 

“Not yet.”

 

Ariana paused at the edge of the doorway, shifting back to keep out of sight as she eavesdropped on the two werewolves in the next room. She wasn’t sure why she stopped, but something about this conversation felt heavy, like she wasn’t supposed to be there for it. There was something about Liam’s tone, something hesitant that tugged Ariana back out of sight and into the shadows, holding her breath as she listened.

 

“I don’t mean I’m not strong, or I’ll never learn to be in control. I mean everything else, you and your friends try and protect everyone. Have you been doing this the whole time? I mean, how are you all still alive?” Liam said to Scott, his voice dropping slightly as he spoke.

 

From around the corner Ariana could hear Liam’s feet shuffling back and forth, a sure sign of how anxious he really was. Part of her felt guilty for eavesdropping, but mostly there was a sudden urge to step out, to grab a hold of Liam, to hug him tightly until he understood how wrong he was. To make him understand how good he was, especially compared to someone like her.

 

“Not all of us are.” Scott’s voice was soft, something sad hovering in his tone. It caught Ariana off guard and she swayed on the spot for a moment, frowning to herself. Who was he referring to? Who had he lost? Was he thinking of Violet and Garrett and the weight of their death on his conscience? There was something else in his voice though, like loss. Like he’d lost someone that mattered too.

 

“Hey there Ari.”

 

Ariana hadn’t realised that the other two had stopped talking until Scott’s voice rang out again, amusement covering up any lingering sadness.

 

Fully aware that she’d been caught, Ariana sheepishly stepped out from behind the corner, one hand offering a weak wave as she looked up at Scott. “So, what’s going on?” she asked as she moved towards Liam, slipping one hand into his and giving it a warm squeeze.

 

Liam leaned his shoulder into hers a little, ducking his head down as he exhaled, clearly still a little unsettled but glad Ariana was back beside him again. It was odd, Ariana knew his presence always calmed her but she was constantly surprised to see how much her presence affected him too, calming him as much as he calmed her.

 

“Well…Kira found more wolves who need our help. But uh, you don’t need to come along. I’m going to drop you and Liam back at his house so you can get some rest,” Scott explained with an encouraging nod as he toyed with the keys to his motorbike.

 

“Where are you going though? What if there’s more assassins?” Ariana asked, frowning up at Scott. “You barely survived the last lot,” she added, raising an eyebrow.

 

Scott seemed unconcerned though, just giving her an odd look, like he hadn’t expected her to worry about her wellbeing. She hadn’t exactly expected it either but she’d gone to a lot of effort to save Scott and Liam from the assassins at the bonfire and it seemed a bit pointless to watch Scott run into danger again so quickly.

 

“It’s fine. They’re at Deaton’s clinic for now until we can find somewhere safe for them,” Scott said, his head bobbing up and down as he spoke.

 

“Will Deaton be there?” Ariana asked, perking up a little. Maybe Deaton could look at her and decide just how troubling her abilities were right now. Clearly using her abilities was affecting her body but she really just wanted to know how serious it was and whether she needed to panic or not.

 

Scott frowned a little, clearly unsure where Ariana was going with her question. “Uh, no not yet but he’s on his way there now.”

 

“I’m coming with you then,” Ariana said, her tone leaving no room for questioning. Liam glanced sideways at her, frowning a little but he seemed to sense something in her that suggested arguing with her was a lost cause. Instead he just shrugged and nodded to Scott.

 

“It’s fine. I’ll just crash here if that’s okay?” Liam asked his alpha.

 

Scott nodded, an amused but resigned expression resting on his face. “No problem. We’ll be back soon, then,” he said as he moved to go grab a spare helmet for Ariana.

 

Ariana meanwhile, moved closer to Liam, giving his hand another squeeze as Liam’s spare hand reached up to gently move a lock of hair out of her eyes. For a moment Ariana was worried he could see through her make up, that he’d notice just how pale she was right now, but instead Liam just looked into her eyes, a hint of a smile on his lips.

 

“Hey, be safe,” Liam said quietly after a moment, his fingers brushing against her chin lightly.

 

Ariana bit back a smile, trying to ignore the way her heart skipped a little at his touch. “Hey, I’m not the one who nearly died tonight. Just…just get some rest.” She held Liam’s gaze for a moment before leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, letting herself linger in the quiet moment for a few beats before finally pulling away. 

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

Although Genevieve knew Satomi had brought her into the pack to help her, the rest of the pack seemed too preoccupied to comfort her or offer her any help at all. Brett had helped her find the couch once they’d arrived at the veterinarian clinic but he’d rushed away to help the rest of the pack pretty quickly, leaving Genevieve to sit alone, an outsider as usual.

 

She watched as Brett moved to Satomi’s side, talking quietly with her and the other betas nearby, his face serious but hopeful. Lori was huddled right beside him, clearly needing the comfort of her older brother right now and Brett slung a protective arm over her shoulder, keeping her close to him. Part of Genevieve felt a bit of envy, but she pushed that down quickly. Now was not the time to think about the way Brett’s hand would feel in hers right now. He had the rest of his pack to worry about. Instead Genevieve settled herself on the couch, feeling an odd sense of familiarity as she sat alone, a wallflower watching the pack from a small distance.

 

“Hey, you look like you need this.”

 

Genevieve glanced up from the spot on the ground she’d been staring at, offering a weak smile up as she took in the girl standing in front of her, a blanket held in her outstretched hand. It was the dark haired girl from earlier, the girl who had basically saved their lives tonight. It was oddly refreshing to see another familiar face here.

 

Genevieve tugged her knees close to her chest as she shifted on the small couch, keeping her eyes on the girl as she lowered herself down to Genevieve’s level.

 

“Oh um, thanks…?” Genevieve managed to get out, reaching out to take the blanket hesitantly. She quickly pulled it over her shoulders, wrapping it around herself and gripping it tightly in her hands as she looked up at the girl, a grateful smile slipping up her lips.

 

The girl smiled back at Genevieve, her warm eyes sparkling as she studied the small girl. “I’m Kira. What’s your name?”

 

“Genevieve.” Genevieve gripped the blanket a little tighter, her eyes flickering between Kira and back to where Brett was still standing beside Satomi. He didn’t look back at her, still too focused on his pack to glance back.

 

“Well hi Genevieve. You looked a little lonely. You okay if I sit with you?”

 

Genevieve nodded weakly, shuffling across to make a bit of room for Kira to squeeze in beside her.

 

After a moment of shifting to get comfortable, Kira drew one knee up to her chest and turned to face Genevieve, a curious expression on her face. “Are you new to Satomi’s pack?” she asked.

 

Genevieve glanced down at the blanket, studying it closely as she nodded. “What gave it away?”

 

“Oh no, it’s just I was the new girl at school not long ago so I guess I saw something of me in you sitting over here,” Kira said with a shrug. “How did you meet Satomi?”

 

Genevieve clutched at the blanket a little tighter, staring at the frayed threads as she inhaled deeply. “I- uh- she found me. She found me in the woods a few days ago and she took me in.” She glanced up at Kira with a half hearted shrug, unable to think of an easy way to explain the last few days that she barely even understood herself.

 

Kira nodded slowly, the corner of her lips tilted in a soft smile, although there was a crease growing between her eyebrows, curiosity in her eyes. “But what about your alpha? I’m assuming Satomi isn’t the one who bit you?”

 

There it was again, the reappearance of the mystery that was slowly eating away at Genevieve. She let out a sigh, heavier with frustration than she’d intended. “I don’t remember how I became a wolf. I don’t know who bit me or when or why. I just know that Satomi found me with claws instead of fingernails and that’s it,” she said finally.

 

Kira must have caught the slight bite behind Genevieve’s words and she reached out, resting on hand on Genevieve’s for a moment, a gentle look in her eyes. “I’m sorry. That must be so overwhelming for you,” she offered after a moment.

 

Genevieve glanced back up at her, locking eyes with Kira and taking in the warmth radiating from the older girl. No one else seemed to understand how terrified Genevieve had been over the last few days. Brett, as kind and supportive as he had been, was still a born werewolf and he didn’t fully understand the terror of having new abilities with no real explanation. Satomi was too concerned with the assassins hunting her pack, and too curious to learn about Genevieve’s mystery alpha, to really focus on the high waves of anxiety waving off the small redheaded wolf. Something about Kira gave Genevieve the impression that she did understand though.

 

“Thank you,” Genevieve finally offered up quietly, unable to think of anything else to say.

 

Kira nodded back and she was about to open her mouth to speak again, when they both caught the sound of the door to the clinic swinging open, followed by several footsteps. Genevieve winced slightly as her ears took in the sounds a little too loudly, picking up the weight of the first set of footsteps and the tentative feet behind. The way the door squeaked as it swung itself shut again. The sound of the wind whistling through the cracks. She had a feeling it was going to take a while to fully get used to these new heightened senses, if it was even possible to get used to.

 

Kira didn’t seem alarmed by the new arrival though, a new smile slipping onto her face. She glanced at Genevieve with a reassuring nod before climbing off the couch and disappearing around the corner, leaving Genevieve alone on the couch alone again.

 

Brett had moved away from Satomi, sitting on the floor next to a few other members of his pack who looked equally tense, although Genevieve could see the tension slipping from their faces as Brett calmed them down. If only he turned around and noticed the waves of anxiety waving off her body. Then again she probably always gave off anxious vibes, always half a step away from another panic attack.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

Ariana squinted as she stepped into the veterinary clinic behind Scott, struggling to make out the dark shapes around her as her eyes adjusted. Kira obviously hadn’t been able to work out where the light switches were yet so the only light source was the lamps flooding in light from outside. It cast odd shadows in the reception of the clinic and Ariana let her eyes flicker around, trying to pick up any movement.

 

Scott seemed less paranoid though, leaping behind the counter easily to flip a few switches, letting warm light into the room finally. “Kira?” he called out, eyes crinkling slightly as he glanced around the empty room.

 

A second later, Kira appeared at the doorway into the back room, a slightly exhausted smile on her face. “Hey,” she said softly, running up to Scott. They embraced for a moment and Ariana hovered near the counter awkwardly, waiting.

 

“Did you find him? Did you find Brett?” Scott asked finally as he pulled away from Kira.

 

His words made Ariana freeze and she stared up at him, her eyes widening in horror. Scott hadn’t mentioned anything about Brett earlier. At least not in front of Ariana. Why had he kept that from her? Was he trying to deliberately put Ariana in danger? Had he forgotten the last time Ariana had been face to face with Brett? It hadn’t exactly been a shining moment for her, or Violet. 

 

Scott didn’t seem to notice the increase in Ariana’s heartbeat though, too busy focusing on the way Kira’s head bobbed up and down eagerly. Without hesitation, Kira spun on her heel, leading Scott towards the back room with an encouraging smile.

 

Ariana swayed on the spot for a moment, shifting her weight between her feet before letting an exasperated sigh escape her lips as she went to follow Scott. At least if Brett tried to attack her Scott would try and protect her, or at least she hoped he would. Still, Ariana wasn’t used to being confronted with her victims. The Orphans were good enough at their job that their targets were never around long enough to need a return visit. She didn’t even know what she was supposed to say to Brett. There wasn’t really a post-attempted-murder section in that dumb assassin handbook Garrett had typed up as a joke one time. Was she expected to apologise? Did she even want to?

 

Deciding there was no point putting it off any longer, Ariana pursed her lips and moved forward, rounding the corner quickly, just in time to catch the end of Scott’s words.

 

“We’re going to need help. A lot of help.”

 

Ariana’s eyes went to Scott first as she entered the back room. But her gaze quickly passed him and moved on, her eyes widening instantly as she took in the sight in front of her.

 

The room was crowded, with several people sitting all around the room, on the floor, leaning against the walls, hovering at the bench. All werewolves. Ariana didn’t need to see any glowing yellow eyes to pick up on that. Suddenly Ariana could feel her hands twitching, the nerves sparking inside of her as she glanced around, taking in the way the werewolves all glanced over at her with suspicion.

 

As Ariana glanced around, trying to find Brett’s face, a flash of red hair caught Ariana’s eye over on the small couch in the corner, causing her heart to leap a little too high in her chest, the breath pushing itself out of her chest. She recognised that head of hair, no matter how dark and matted the rain had left it. Ariana spent several years being the only one allowed to brush it at night because she didn’t tug too hard at the knots. She’d spent almost ten years waking up with that red hair smushed into her face when there weren’t enough beds at their foster homes to fit everyone. She knew that hair anywhere but she certainly hadn’t expected to see it here.

 

“Genevieve?” She asked, staring as her brain trying to comprehend what was going on. She took in the the way the wet red hair sat over the girl’s shoulders, the way the blanket was wrapped around her small frame.

 

After a moment, the red hair tossed around, revealing Genevieve Carey’s wide eyes looking straight up at her, a mixture of confusion and distress in her eyes.

 

“What are you doing here?” Ariana asked, her eyes widening as her mind began to race, wondering how Genevieve had found herself here. How was Genevieve connected to any of this? How was she here? Did she realise she was currently surrounded by werewolves? Ariana would have been worried for her if she wasn’t so confused right now.

 

“Ariana?” Genevieve frowned as she shifted on the couch, unfolding her legs and straightening up a little. Her eyes narrowed a little, taking in the sight of Ariana in front of her.

 

“Hi. What are you doing here?” Ariana repeated, ignoring the way Kira and Scott were frowning as they looked back and forth between her and Genevieve.

 

“Well what are you doing here?” Genevieve shot back, hugging her arms tightly across her chest as she stood up. She was barely an inch taller than Ariana though so standing didn’t really have much an effect, much as she would have believed.

 

“Yeah, what _are_ you doing here, Ariana?” Brett’s voice rang out from across the room, hard and accusatory.

 

Now Ariana realised why she hadn’t noticed Brett earlier when she’d scanned the room. He’d been sitting on the floor against the wall in the corner with a few other werewolves, but as soon as he recognised Ariana he stood up, his excessive height immediately casting shadows around the room as he glared down at her.Taking in his intimidating stance, Ariana edged back an inch, shaking her head slightly.

 

Scott moved forward though, hovering just behind Ariana with one hand up to keep the peace as the tension began to seep into the room. “Hey Brett, it’s okay. She’s with me.”

 

“She’s with you? Are you kidding me?” Brett asked, eyes widening as he stared at Scott in disbelief.

 

“Brett, it’s okay. Ariana is on our side now. She’s helping us. Trust me,” Scott said, imploring Brett as he rested a hand on Ariana’s shoulder. The contact startled Ariana a little but she clenched her jaw a little to keep Scott from noticing. He didn’t miss it though, ever aware of everyone around him, and he gently removed his hand, keeping his eyes locked on Brett.

 

Finally Brett sighed, dropping his intimidating stance a little as he took a step backwards to stand with Genevieve, towering over her as he folded his arms across his chest to indicate that he still wasn’t fully okay with the situation. There was a moment of tense silence as Genevieve glanced between Brett and Ariana with a growing frown, confused at the level of hostility in Brett’s tone, while Ariana’s eyes stayed on Genevieve, unwavering as she waited for an explanation herself.

 

“Hang on, how do you two know each other?” Kira asked suddenly, glancing between Genevieve and Ariana.

 

“Long story,” the two girls said in unison.

 

Kira raised an eyebrow at that, taking in the similar mannerisms in both girls, the way they both quickly folded their arms, glancing at each other with a look loaded in history. “So…you two are friends?”

 

Genevieve pursed her lips as she looked at Ariana, an uncharacteristic but familiar bitter expression slipping onto her face. “Not exactly.” Ariana was probably the only person who ever received that level of bitterness from Genevieve so she barely flinched, just staring back instead.

 

Finally she’d had enough, stepping closer to Genevieve and ignoring the way the rest of the werewolves tensed up. Genevieve leaned away slightly, but she didn’t move away yet which was a positive sign. “Okay seriously, Genevieve. What’s going on?”

 

Genevieve glanced across at Kira who nodded in encouragement, indicating that it was safe to reveal this huge secret to Ariana. As much as she clearly didn’t want to be around Ariana and didn’t want to explain herself, Ariana was unrelenting and both girls knew she wouldn’t let it drop. “Well uh…Well I guess it’s kind of complicated. It’s hard to explain.” Genevieve shrugged as she struggled to figure out the right words to say.

 

“Complicated how?” Ariana asked, her curiosity getting the better of her right now. She knew she should be putting up walls around Genevieve, like they always did. She knew she was supposed to act cold, going along with the game they’d been playing for the last five years, but she had too many questions. She’d save their feud for later. Right now she just needed answers.

 

Genevieve took a deep breath as she stood up and glanced down at the floor for a moment, presumably collecting her thoughts. Then she raised her head back up slowly, revealing a set of bright yellow eyes. The same colour Ariana had seen Liam flash at her last week. The same colour Brett’s eyes had been last time they met.

 

The eyes of a beta wolf.

 

“Wh-what the heck?” Ariana stepped back in shock, instincts taking over. She’d known Genevieve her entire life. There had been a time when she knew her better than almost anyone. Genevieve was the last person she’d expected this to happen to. Werewolves were aggressive, fierce and headstrong. They were violent and rough. Genevieve couldn’t be farther from any of that. She was passive, terrified and wide eyed, even now as she flashed her yellow eyes.

 

Genevieve blinked, her eyes slowly returning to their natural hazel colour as she stared down at the ground again, fidgeting with her hand anxiously. Even if she seemed so far from the Genevieve that Ariana knew, it was clear she was still the same ball of anxiety she’d always been. “Like I said. It’s complicated,” Genevieve said finally, letting out a huff of breath as she waited for Ariana to drop the issue, as unlikely as that was.

 

“Who bit you?” Scott interrupted the tense reunion, his eyes kind and warm as he moved forward to speak to Genevieve. It was odd seeing him using the same tactics he’d used on Ariana only a few days ago, but even odder to see how well it worked.

 

“Um, I don’t really know,” Genevieve said to Scott, her voice soft as she tried to explain it all for what was probably the tenth time today. “I just know Satomi found me when I was half transformed. I don’t remember getting bitten at all.”

 

“When? When did this all happen?” Ariana moved closer to her again, something inside her telling her she needed to know, her stomach knotting itself together as she held her breath, waiting for an answer.

 

Genevieve bit her lip, studying Ariana for a moment, wondering whether or not to keep giving Ariana answers she clearly didn’t deserve. Still, Ariana held her gaze, waiting. “Not that I owe you an explanation, but Friday I guess?” Genevieve finally offered, a crease appearing between her brows as her mind raced through hazy memories of that night.

 

Ariana’s widened as she turned to look at Scott. He met her gaze, a worried frown appearing on his face, the crease between his eyebrows deepening.

 

Friday. The same night Ariana had lost Garrett and Violet. The same night her name had appeared on the Benefactor’s list. The same night her druid abilities appeared.

 

“Looks like Friday was a big night for everyone,” Scott remarked, clearly trying to ease the tension, but the concern didn’t vanish from his face. Ariana looked back over at Genevieve, taking in the way the bitterness seeped out of her expression for a moment, replaced with a sense of worry. Ariana matched her expression with one equally worried.

 

Some people might have been tempted to brush this off as a coincidence, but Ariana was a realist and a scientist at heart. She knew there were no such things as coincidences, which meant something else was going on here.


	19. Control

Ariana stayed close to Scott as the rest of the werewolves began gathering closer together, ready to discuss their next move against their attackers. Genevieve was lingering by Brett’s side, her eyes still half focused uncertainly on Ariana as she tried to pay attention to Satomi.

 

“You say we need help. You have someone in mind?” Satomi asked Scott, leaning forward from where she stood against the bench in the middle of the room, quickly tugging the focus back to the actual situation right now. The other werewolves glanced between her and Scott, eyebrows raised in a mixture of fear and hope. It seemed like they trusted Scott pretty easily, taking in the ease in which Satomi accepted his offer to help.

 

Scott seemed a little uncertain though, wringing his hands a little as he stepped closer to her, throwing a glance back at Kira who nodded in encouragement. “Look,” he said finally. “We need help from someone who has insight into the mind of these assassins. Who can predict their next move and how to defend ourselves against them.”

 

“If you’re referring to Ariana, I think you need to rethink this plan,” Brett cut in, lingering resentment seeping into his voice. Satomi threw him a look to silence him but he seemed undeterred by his alpha, his gaze focused on Scott.

 

The other wolves pulled their confused gazes to Ariana who felt herself shrinking back a little at the sudden scrutiny. She wasn’t ashamed of her past, but it was a little different to be standing opposite several of her failed targets. It was like stripping back the research and the numbers, and putting real faces in front of her, reminding her that these were real people. It was a harsh reality check and Ariana wasn’t sure she wanted to be exposed to that right now.

 

“I’m sorry, I still don’t trust her, Scott,” Brett continued as he pulled his gaze towards Ariana, giving her a pointed look, eyes narrowing. “How do you know she’s really on our side? How do we know it’s not just a ploy while Violet and Garrett get ready to ambush us all?”

 

“Don’t worry, they won’t,” Ariana cut in, her tone dull but decisive as she stared back at Brett. He narrowed his eyes, distrustful even as he took in the tension in Ariana’s body.

 

“What are you talking about?” Genevieve piped up before Brett could continue his accusations. The small redhead was frowning as she moved forward half a step, confused but curious as she glanced back and forth between Ariana and Brett.

 

“You know those assassins who have been coming for us? Ariana is one of them. She and her friends tried to kill me just last week,” Brett explained bluntly. He didn’t even try to sugarcoat it, staring coolly at Ariana.

 

“Well we _didn’t_ kill you, so you’re welcome,” Ariana shot back, ignoring the wide-eyed shock on Genevieve’s face right now. The truth was inevitably going to come out now that Genevieve was apparently involved in the supernatural too but Ariana had hoped for a little more time to collect her thoughts, to find a time to pull Genevieve aside quietly.

 

“Wow, I’m so grateful.” Brett raised a sarcastic eyebrow at Ariana before glancing back at Scott. “Scott, I trust you. I do. But can you honestly tell me Ariana is trustworthy too? How can you be sure her friends won’t going to attack any minute?”

 

“They won’t because they’re both dead.” Ariana jutted her chin forward a little, clenching her fists tightly in anticipation of any tremors ready to slip through her fingers.

 

There was a tense silence as the werewolves all glanced around in confusion, Scott’s head dropping for a moment with a sigh as Kira hovered awkwardly beside him.

 

Across from Ariana, Genevieve swayed on the spot for a minute, her eyes locking with Ariana, searching for some sign of a joke. “Violet- Garrett- they’re dead? Garrett is dead?” she asked, faltering slightly. 

 

Sometimes Ariana forgot just how intertwined her life was with Genevieve’s. They’d spent the last five years pretending their past together was just a distorted dream, and it was easy to forget that Genevieve had gone through at least three different foster homes with Garrett before she ended up at the Wilson’s home. Ariana hadn’t forgotten Genevieve’s clashes with Violet though. Those kinds of explosions were hard to forget, rare as they were. Genevieve didn’t lose her temper very often, but the few times she had seemed to all involve either Violet or Ariana. But Ariana didn’t want to think about that right now.

 

Genevieve was still staring at Ariana, the crease growing between her eyebrows. For a moment, there was no bitterness. There was no lingering resentment. For a moment all Ariana saw was someone who understood the weight of her grief. Someone who remembered the way Garrett liked to crack jokes to break the tension. Someone else who remembered Garrett’s gleeful grin when he managed to successfully prank a fellow foster kid. Someone to remembered how Garrett was always the first to grab blankets to comfort his fellow foster siblings when the drunken abuse began.

 

The two girls stared at each other, tension softening for a brief moment as the other wolves in the room watched them warily.

 

“I trust Ariana,” Scott said quietly after a moment. “And she needs my help just as much as you do.” He nodded towards Brett, warm eyes locking with Brett’s as he tried to encourage the beta to ease the tension in the his body.

 

Brett raised a disbelieving eyebrow though, glancing back at Ariana. “How?”

 

“I’m on the deadpool too,” Ariana said, folding her arms across her chest as she pulled her gaze from Genevieve’s, her walls of defence throwing themselves back up around her small frame. “I’m- um, I’m a druid.”

 

“Like Mr Deaton?” Genevieve asked, frowning as she tried to remember Deaton’s explanation about his abilities to her. He’d been pretty vague, something that seemed to be a habit of his judging from what she’d gathered so far from her brief interactions with him.

 

Ariana bit her lip as she folded her arms tightly across her chest, fists still clenched as a precaution. “Sort of. I mean yeah, I think so. I don’t really know much about it yet. I only found out on Friday night…” she trailed off, watching Genevieve carefully.

 

“Like me…” Genevieve trailed off, suddenly understanding Scott’s earlier comment. “That’s weird, right?” She glanced over at Kira, eyes questioning. Kira just shrugged in response.

 

Ariana nodded back, nodding slowly. “Yeah…super weird.”

 

The two girls stared at each other, identical frowns slowly growing on their faces. In that moment it wasn’t hard to tell that the two girls had grown up together, their mannerisms and expressions suddenly spookily similar. Beside Genevieve, Brett was looking increasingly more agitated, clearly unhappy with the fact that Ariana and Genevieve had some kind of connection, whatever it was.

 

“So Scott, who did you have in mind?” Satomi spoke up, cutting through the tension that was beginning to rise up again.

 

Breaking her gaze from Ariana, Genevieve pulled her focus back to the older werewolf, leaning back against Brett who squeezed her shoulders. Ariana slunk back to hover behind Scott as he began to explain his plan, her eyes stuck uneasily on Genevieve. She knew something more was going on, if only she could work out what exactly it was.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

By the time Scott and Ariana got back to his house, the plan ready to move into action the next day, Liam was fast asleep on the couch, a blanket kindly thrown over him by Scott’s mother. The spare room had been set up, ready for a guest but obviously Liam had decided to leave it available for Ariana.

 

The gesture touched Ariana and she felt a smile slipping up her face as she realised, an expression that felt unfamiliar after the last few hours. Even when Liam was clearly terrified and stressed out, he still managed to find little ways to look out for Ariana and after everything she’d gone through lately, Ariana couldn’t help feeling a little overwhelmed. It seemed like everything was falling apart in her life, but at least Liam was there for her.

 

Crawling into the spare bed, Ariana let out a heavy sigh. She hadn’t realised how exhausted she was until her head hit the pillow, grateful for the chance to have the chance to rest finally. Nestling back into the pillows, Ariana let her her eyes flutter shut as she drifted off to sleep.

 

_Ariana blinked, her entire body disoriented as she stared around her surroundings. She was in the woods, the dark silhouettes of large trees towering over her. She didn’t remember going to the woods but something about this felt eerily familiar, like she had been here before._

 

_“Well? Are you just going to stand there?”_

 

_The sound of Violet’s familiar voice made Ariana jump, one hand flinging up to her chest in shock as she whirled around to see her best friend standing before her, She looked just like she always did, her long dark hair sitting across her shoulders, framing the impatient look on her face as she watched Ariana._

 

_“Violet?” Ariana asked, hardly believing her eyes. Something told her she wasn’t supposed to be here, like Violet’s presence was wrong somehow._

 

_Violet didn’t seem to feel the same way, simply rolling her eyes. “Duh. Who else would it be?”_

 

_Ariana frowned, studying Violet cautiously. She seemed to be her usual self, flouncing off in the opposite direction with a look over her shoulder that suggested Ariana needed to follow her right away._

 

_Ariana followed Violet deeper into the woods for what felt like hours, trudging through but never quite feeling exhausted. Finally Violet came to a halt at a large tree stump, sitting on it like it was just their couch at home. She folded one ankle behind the other as she looked up at Ariana, a smirk on her lips._

 

_“Where are we?”Ariana asked, hugging her arms to her chest, suddenly confused._

 

_“Where it began.” Violet said simply..“Don’t you remember?”_

 

_Suddenly their surroundings changed and they were in the Argent warehouse, thick sheets surrounding them as the lights flickered above the two girls._

 

_Before Ariana could react, Violet was suddenly right in front of her, so close their noses were almost touching. Violet’s eyes widened and she let out a strangled gasp.. Ariana stared back, horrified as Violet’s appearance changed, her face hollow and gaunt, eyes dark and blank as blood dripped down her forehead._

 

_“This is all your fault,” Violet choked out, swaying slightly. Ariana stared down, her throat constricting as she spotted the dagger clutched in her own hand, the sharp end now deeply embedded in Violet’s chest._

 

_And suddenly they were back at the tree stump, the birds circling lower now. Violet’s face was flickering between her normal smirk and the horrific look of death as she stood opposite Ariana, watching her silently._

 

_“I didn’t mean to- I didn’t know-” Ariana stammered, clutching her shaking hands tighter to her body._

 

_“But you did. You did this,’ Violet replied, reaching one bloodied hand up to touch Ariana’s cheek gently. “It’s the darkness. It’s coming.”_

 

_“What darkness? What do you mean?” Ariana asked, staring back at Violet desperately._

 

_Violet tugged her hand back, glancing up at the birds circling above before smiling eerily back at Ariana._

 

_“Your darkness.”_

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

After a night of restless sleep and confusing nightmares, Ariana found herself back at the the Veterinary clinic within mere minutes the next day, hands wringing themselves in front of her as she hovered by the door.

 

Scott had been kind enough to drop her off on the way to meet Genevieve and the rest of Satomi’s pack, having decided that it was probably best for Ariana to keep her distance for now. Ariana hadn’t argued, well aware of when her presence wasn’t wanted. Brett had made his feelings towards her quite clear last night, and while Genevieve hadn’t said anything against Ariana tagging along, her anxious body language had spoken loudly enough. Ariana would have stuck close to Liam but he had snuck out of Scott’s house early in the morning before she could speak to him, presumably off to hang out with Mason.

 

Still, Ariana had a feeling she would prefer to be surrounded by angry wolves right now, instead of preparing herself to talk to Deaton. She knew she needed to talk to him about her abilities, about the exhaustion it was causing her, about her fear of the potential darkness inside. But there was something more pressing, something that had been weighing on her mind for days, ever since she’d heard Violet’s name fall from Stiles’s lips, and something that had only grown on her mind after last night’s nightmares.

 

Deaton was at the reception desk, a bunch of paperwork in front of him and he looked up curiously as Ariana pushed the door open and stepped in hesitantly, a worried frown already on her face.

 

“Um Deaton? Can we talk?” Ariana clasped her hands together as she spoke, ready for any sign of trembling to occur any minute.

 

Deaton seemed to notice the tension in her body and he put down his paperwork, looking up at her expectantly. “Of course. What can I do for you? Is this Druid related?” he asked, his tone warm and open as he studied her, taking in her tense shoulders and the way her hands remained clenched tightly together, white knuckles showing.

 

Ariana held her breath for a minute, half tempted to just say yes and ignore the real reason she was standing here. But ignoring the issue wasn’t going to stop her brain from continuing its journey into overdrive. She needed to get this off her chest. She needed some answers. “Not exactly. Well maybe? Um…kind of? I don’t know…It’s about Violet,” she offered finally.

 

Deaton nodded slowly, his eyes warm and kind as he looked down at her. “Ah yes. I’m sure it’s not been easy, dealing with your grief and her body being found the other day wouldn’t make it any easier to process,” he offered.

 

Ariana shook her head firmly though, determined to get the truth out before she changed her mind. She needed to know if her theory was right. “No, it’s not that. I mean yes, it hurts but it’s not just that. I just…Well I don’t know how she got to the Nemeton but I do know who killed her.” Ariana felt the lump in her throat growing a little larger, and she took in a shuddering breath to steel herself.

 

“Ah, it’s okay Ariana,” Deaton said, bowing his head slightly. “Maybe Scott didn’t mention it to you, but we know who it was too. Kate Argent…She is a very dangerous woman and she was cruel that night, taking your two closest friends.”

 

“No,” Ariana held up a hand to stop Deaton from continuing, frustration seeping into her tone. “Just listen please.”

 

Deaton closed his mouth as he clasped his hands together. He nodded slightly for her to continue, giving her his full attention as he waited for her to speak.

 

Ariana took a breath, steeling herself for what she was about to admit. “Kate Argent did kidnap Violet, and she took her to the Argent warehouse to try and lure Scott there. I know that. Kate knew Garrett would keep Liam’s whereabouts hidden until Scott brought Violet back to us, meaning Scott would go to the warehouse. But I got to there first.”

 

Deaton raised his eyebrows in surprise but he didn’t speak, keeping his eyes focused calmly on her as she continued, although there was a growing look of concern on his face.

 

“When I got there…I was almost too late. Violet was- she was dying. She was in a lot of pain and she wanted it to stop. So I…” Ariana broke off, the lump in her throat growing too big to continue. She swallowed it down though, letting out a choked sob in the process. “So I stopped it. I had Garrett’s dagger and I ended it for her. I _killed_ her.” Ariana felt the anguish overwhelm her for a moment, taking in a shuddering breath. She clutching her arms around her body as if that would stop her from falling apart, as if she could squeeze out the awful reality of what she had done.

 

Deaton was silent for a moment, his gaze softening slightly as he studied her.

 

“You didn’t kill her, Ariana. You helped her,” he said finally, stepping closer to her. He reached out a hand, resting it reassuringly on her shoulder. “You put an end to her pain and that was incredibly brave of you. You sacrificed your own happiness to help her. That was the kindest thing you could have done.”

 

Ariana felt tears sparkling in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, shaking her head “I still killed her. And Deaton- you can’t tell anyone. Especially not Liam. If he knew what I had done…what I’m capable of…I don’t think he’d ever look at me the same. He says he doesn’t care about what I’ve done, but that’s only because he doesn’t know. If he knew…” Ariana’s body shuddered slightly, the truth of her actions getting out suddenly too much for her to bear.

 

Deaton nodded slowly, squeezing her shoulder lightly. “Of course. Your secret is safe with me, Ariana. But I’m sure Liam would understand why you did what you did. Talking to him about it might help lift that heavy burden off your shoulders,” Deaton suggested, offering a kind smile to her before stepping back with a curious expression. “But why are you telling me all of this, Ariana? I’m guessing it wasn’t just to get it off your chest. There’s something else on your mind.”

 

“Because I was wondering…” Ariana paused, collecting her thoughts. Part of her felt like what she was about to say sounded ridiculous, but she knew better than to dismiss her instincts, especially after her eerie dream. “You said that you thought something had suppressed my abilities somehow. What if I somehow triggered them back by killing Violet? What if I accidentally did some kind of blood sacrifice? Is that possible?”

 

Deaton was quiet for a moment as he looked down at her. His expression was almost unreadable but Ariana was smart and she caught the brief look of fear on his face before he masked it with one of deep thought, tugging the worry from his brow. “I wouldn’t jump to conclusions there, but it’s certainly a possibility, if slightly far fetched. It’s a stretch though so I wouldn’t put too much thought into it,” he said finally, clasping his hands together with an expression that did nothing to assure Ariana at all.

 

Before Ariana could push the issue further, Deaton’s cell phone rang loudly, interrupting the tension.

 

“Hello? Oh, Sheriff Stilinski. How can I help?” Deaton frowned into the phone as the Sheriff’s voice came through. Ariana couldn’t make out what he was saying but it was clearly intriguing to Deaton who was already nodding before the voice stopped. “Yes, of course. I’d be happy to help. I’ll be there shortly.” He ended the call, inhaling sharply as if collecting himself.

 

“What’s going on?” Ariana asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

 

“Well, there’s a bit of a situation at the police station. There’s a young girl there, a banshee named Meredith. Lydia thinks she may be involved in the Benefactor’s list but she’s refusing to talk,” Deaton explained as he began to tidy up the paperwork still sitting on his desk. “The Sheriff wants to see if I can get through to her at all. Maybe you can come along and see what us druids are capable of, besides just creating earthquakes.”

 

Ariana furrowed her brow as she watched Deaton moving around, preparing to close up the clinic. “What do you mean she’s involved- hang on.” Ariana stopped herself, catching the last part of Deaton’s explanation. “You can make her talk? How?” she asked, suddenly curious.

 

“It’s more making suggestions to her mind, letting it become more susceptible to providing us with some answers. We have to be very cautious though. This ability can cause damage to someone if we’re not careful. It’s not something I recommend and I haven’t done it in a very long time, but it does allow us to keep the balance if necessary,” Deaton continued to explain as he led Ariana to his car.

 

“Cool,” Ariana piped up, tugging the passenger door shut as she climbed in, still trying to get her mind around yet another new druid ability.

 

Deaton glanced at her with an amused smile as he pulled the car into gear, steering them towards the police station while he launched into a proper explanation of who this Meredith girl was and how she fit into the Benefactor’s list. 

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

Genevieve blinked dust out of her eyes as she followed Brett into the warehouse, one hand clasped tightly in his as they walked in with Lori hovering close behind them. The warehouse had large windows all the way around the top of the walls, allowing the white sunlight to flood in, but somehow the room still managed to feel dull and eerie.

 

The eerie atmosphere came to a sharp halt as an older man emerged from the shadows, a rifle pointing directly towards Brett. The beta immediately bared his claws out, letting out a snarl as he stepped in front of Genevieve and Lori, Satomi instantly moving closer to the young wolves protectively.

 

Scott leaped forward before the situation could escalate though, arms flung out to break the tension. “Wait! Wait! Brett! This is his place. It's _his_ ,” he cried out, indicating towards the man with one hand as the other kept Brett from lunging forward. 

 

The mystery man lowered his gun slightly as he caught sight of Scott, but his grip was still firm on the trigger. “Scott... If you bring in guests, you could have called,” he said dryly, raising an eyebrow.

 

Scott shrugged, glancing back at the group of werewolves huddled around the entrance of the warehouse. “Sorry, Argent. I didn't have anywhere else to take them,” he offered as explanation.

 

Satomi was quiet as she stepped forward, studying the man before she finally spoke. “I know this man. He may not remember, but we've met before.”

Scott furrowed his brow, nodding calmly. “You can trust Argent. I trust him,” he said, his eyes flickering over the rest of the pack hovering behind Satomi.

 

Brett glanced at Genevieve, raising an eyebrow. She knew what he was suggesting right away. Could they really trust this man just on Scott’s word? Genevieve barely knew Scott other than what she’d heard around school, and he was currently convinced that Ariana was worth trusting, something Genevieve was still highly reluctant to do. Still, it was Satomi’s call as the pack’s alpha and Genevieve followed Brett’s gaze to the older woman. Satomi was still studying the man, eyes narrowed slightly. There was a tense pause before she finally gave a curt nod, taking another step closer and closing the gap between herself and Scott, aligning herself with the younger alpha.

 

There was a bit of urgent chaos for a few minutes as Satomi’s pack moved around the warehouse, finding the best places to take shelter as they prepared for the inevitable attack. Genevieve tried to stay out of everyone’s way, still too new to mingle with anyone else in the pack. Instead she stayed with Brett who was hovering behind Satomi cautiously, still tense.

 

“Your pack looks bigger than I last recall. Collecting betas now?” Argent asked Satomi, raising an eyebrow as he looked around the warehouse at the wolves who were murmuring amongst themselves.

 

Satomi barely reacted to the seeming accusation, glancing around at her pack with a slow nod, indicating for them to relax. “I take in those who need my help. Usually those on the run from your kind,” she added, slowly raising her chin up defiantly. Argent bowed his head slightly, clearly not wanting to start an argument. Instead he gazed around curiously at the other werewolves. Finally his gaze came to rest on Genevieve, pausing there as he looked at her.

 

“You look…familiar…” Argent trailed off as he took a slow step closer towards Genevieve. Brett immediately shifted an inch closer to her, hovering behind her with an air of intimidation as he stared back at Argent, daring him to hurt Genevieve.

 

Genevieve shifted her weight between her feet anxiously as she looked up at Argent who was currently narrowing his eyes at the small werewolf. “Um…well we definitely haven’t met? I’m um…I’m Genevieve-” she offered up, inwardly wincing at the timid tone in her voice.

 

“-and she doesn’t owe you any more information. If I hadn’t found her in the woods, no doubt one of your fellow hunters would have found her,” Satomi cut in, moving forward protectively towards the small girl as she gave Argent a hard look. It wasn’t exactly comforting but it certainly enforced how grateful Genevieve was. Satomi had definitely saved her life that night. 

 

Argent was shaking his head though, a look of concentration on his face as if he was trying to remember how he knew Genevieve. He brushed it off after a moment though, stepping back away and moving over towards where Scott and Kira were talking closely. Satomi followed him, giving Brett a small nod of her head to indicate for him to join the discussion. Brett nodded back, dropping an affectionate kiss onto Lori’s head and squeezing Genevieve’s hand before stepping away.

 

Lori shifted closer towards Genevieve as Brett, Satomi, Kira and Scott began talking to the man, Argent, quietly, all frowning slightly as they spoke in urgent whispers. 

 

“Hey, don’t worry okay? Satomi will protect us,” Lori assured Genevieve quietly, seemingly noticing the way Genevieve was wringing her hands nervously, the first sign of an anxiety attack on it’s way.

 

“It’s just…the other day I was just stressing about my ballet technique. Now people want me dead and I don’t even know how this all happened,” Genevieve responded miserably, hugging her arms to her chest as she took in a shuddering breath to calm herself.

 

Lori reached out to squeeze Genevieve’s arm in comfort, sighing as she nodded. “I know, it’s a lot. But we’ll get through it all together. That’s the good part about a pack. We’re all here for each other. We’re all here for you.”

 

Genevieve pulled an exhausted but hopeful smile onto her lips as she nodded back, leaning into the other girl’s touch, grateful for the contact.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

It wasn’t until Ariana walked into the police station that her heart started to thump wildly, delayed terror suddenly sinking in as she followed Deaton inside. What if a police officer recognised her? What if this was all a trap, a ruse planned to bring her in and interrogate her about her involvement with The Orphans? The police hadn’t even questioned her at all. Maybe they’d finally worked it all out.

 

Ariana was halfway into the beginning of a panic attack when she spotted Scott’s friend Lydia rounding the corner, a mix of exhaustion and irritation on her face as she lowered her phone from her ear.

 

“Deaton, hey! And…Ari?” Lydia frowned slightly as she reached them, her eyes flickering between Ariana and Deaton.

 

Deaton glanced around at the several officers passing close by. “Oh, Ariana and I were just going over a few things, druid related, when you called. I thought I’d bring her along.”

 

Lydia smiled and nodded, easily accepting Ariana’s presence. She flashed the younger girl a warm smile, one that Ariana attempted to return as confused and anxious as she was. She hadn’t interacted with Lydia much but she had always been a little in awe of the older girl and how intelligent she was, even if Ariana didn’t fully understand her banshee abilities.

 

Before Lydia could start explaining why she was here too, the Sheriff appeared from around the corner, causing Arian’s heart to immediately start racing in a panic. He reached out to shake Deaton’s hand as soon as he was close enough, barely acknowledging Ariana at first. “Thanks for coming in, Deaton. Has Lydia filled you in?”

 

Deaton shook his head, glancing back at Ariana. “No, not yet. I’m sure you can catch me up to speed through. Ariana, this is Sheriff Stilinski. Sheriff, this is Ariana. She’s-”

 

“You were friends with The Orphans. Violet and Garrett,” Sheriff Stilinski stated, studying Ariana calmly, no look of suspicion or accusation in his eyes. “I’m sorry about what happened to them.”

 

Ariana stared back, doing her best to keep the fury of the police’s handling of Violet out of her expression. If they hadn’t arrested Violet, most of that mess wouldn’t have happened and she could be four towns away with her best friends right now. Still, the Sheriff wasn’t the one who had attacked Garrett, and he wasn’t the one who had driven a dagger into Violet’s chest.

 

“Ariana is here to help us out,” Lydia said quickly, interrupting Ariana’s spiralling thoughts. “She’s like Deaton,” she explained in a hushed tone.

 

The sheriff’s eyes widened a little and he nodded quickly. So he was clearly in the supernatural loop. Did he know about Kate’s berserkers? Did he know what had really happened to Violet? Ariana took in a deep breath, putting a quick halt to her thoughts as she focused back on what Lydia was currently saying as she led everyone back around the corner.

 

“But Meredith is refusing to budge. So Peter should be here soon,” Lydia was saying, irritation seeping into her tone.

 

“Wait, who is Peter?” Ariana asked, jogging a few steps to catch up to Lydia, curiosity finally sinking in.

 

The other three all let out a collective sigh, which suggested Peter was even more problematic than herself, an impressive feat.

 

“Peter Hale is the worst,” Lydia said bluntly. “He’s a werewolf, and he’s the one who bit Scott. And me, which is what triggered my banshee abilities. He is kind of the cause of all our problems. And now Meredith will only talk to him. We think she created the deadpool but she won’t explain herself until Peter gets here,” Lydia explained as they walked. Ariana’s eyes widened at the influx of information, unsure of what to react to first.

 

“Alright, well let me go in and talk to her,” Deaton said as they reached the room where the girl Ariana assumed was Meredith was currently sitting. She had short curly hair and wide eyes that suggested she’d seen things darker than death. So this was the girl who had potentially created the Benefactor’s list. This was the Benefactor. The cause of Ariana’s problems right now.

 

Ariana narrowed her eyes at the girl right as Meredith looked up, locking eyes with her. As soon as they made eye contact through the glass, Meredith’s eyes widened even more and she froze, unmoving as she held Ariana’s gaze. It was like she recognised Ariana somehow.

 

“Maybe…Maybe you should go in alone, Alan,” the sheriff suggested, breaking the uneasy tension that had begun to fill the atmosphere around them. Ariana stepped back, breaking eye contact with Meredith as she pulled her gaze to the floor. She could feel Lydia’s eyes on her, burning with curiosity, but she kept her focus on the ground as Deaton hummed in agreement, moving forward to enter the room.

 

“Deaton, how about Ari and I go sit down for a bit while we wait for you?” Lydia suggested, although she was already nudging Ariana back around the corner, not giving her an option to argue, tossing her red hair over her shoulder as she flashed the sheriff a smile. Ariana allowed the older girl to lead her back out, away from Meredith’s eerie gaze and over to the waiting area of the station, passing several police officers who seemed to barely acknowledge the two girls.

 

“Do you want a coffee or anything?” Lydia asked Ariana as they settled on the bench, crossing her ankles lightly. She looked slightly tired but also incredibly composed. Lydia offered Ariana a warm smile, no hint of suspicion in her eyes which made a nice change. Ariana quickly shook her head at the suggestion, shifting in the seat until she was comfortable. Lydia leaned back, her eyes coming to rest on the entrance, keeping an eye out for Peter’s arrival.

 

The two of them sat in a comfortable silence for a while and Ariana felt her eyes slowly starting to drift shut, the exhaustion of last night’s nightmare catching up to her. Within moments she was fast asleep, her head dropping to rest on Lydia’s shoulder.

 

—————————————————————————————————

 

“Everyone get back!”

 

Genevieve’s eyes grew wide in terror as she watched the smoke bomb soar through the air. It was almost as if it was in slow motion, the way it slowly moved through the air before coming to a sharp loud landing, smoke immediately filling its surroundings. Genevieve barely paid attention to Braeden’s war cry that followed, terror immediately overpowering her senses as she ducked to the floor, pressing her entire body to it as if she could just melt into the cold ground.

 

From where she lay hidden, Genevieve could see shadows and silhouettes of bodies running around, those that were armed sprinting around and fighting back while the werewolves stayed out of sight. Lori was pressed up against a table near the wall close to Genevieve, eyes darting around frantically, and she locked eyes with Genevieve briefly, her expression matching the fear that Genevieve felt in her own.

 

Before Genevieve could offer back a hopeful smile, another smoke bomb flew past, landing only a few feet away from Genevieve’s hiding place. As it landed, a waft of smoke exploded from the bomb, causing Genevieve to completely lose any vision of her surroundings.

 

All she could see was smoke. All she could breathe was smoke. Genevieve coughed frantically, giving up all pretence of hiding now, too focused on saving her lungs to care about assassins finding her.

 

“Brett? Gen?” Lori’s voice suddenly called out over the gunshots, cracking slightly with fear. They’d all agreed not to draw attention to themselves, letting those with the guns create the noise, so Lori’s voice momentally stunned Genevieve, freezing her in place.

 

Almost moving out of instinct, Genevieve felt herself rising until she was standing up, staring across at where Lori was standing, eyes wide with terror. Genevieve was momentarily confused until she noticed the red dot slowly moving up onto the centre of Lori’s temple. Through the smoke billowing around, Genevieve could just make out a moving silhouette, a gun loaded up and aimed, ready to fire.

 

Genevieve only had half a second to react but that was all she needed, sprinting forward into the smoke. She wasn’t sure what triggered this sudden bravery, but all she knew was she couldn’t let someone hurt one of the few people she had by her side right now.

 

The assassin was so focused on Lori, taking small and slow steps as they creeped closer, ready to attack. They barely seemed to notice Genevieve until it was too late and she was lunging at them, knocking them to the ground. Their helmet fell off, revealing a guy who barely looked older than Genevieve but his green eyes were dark and determined with no sense of empathy behind them.

 

Genevieve felt a snarl escape her lips, primal and animalistic as claws appeared at the ends of her hands, her eyes flashing a deep gold as she glared down at the assassin. He stared back, a look of terror flashing through his eyes before he gathered his senses back, pushing against Genevieve. She fought back though, swiping a sharp claw across his face and causing him to fall back with a yell of pain.

 

She stayed on top of the assassin, instinct and a rare anger bursting out of her as she swung her claws back and forth, attacking whatever part of him she could get to as he twisted and struggled against her. He was strong, and he was covered in protective gear but Genevieve’s claws were sharp and easily tore through the material. Genevieve was barely conscious of her actions now, her werewolf instincts taking over, all the anger and anxieties of the last few days releasing themselves into this fight.

 

—————————————————————————————————

 

Ariana was woken up some time later, now curled up completely on the bench with Lydia’s jacket acting as a makeshift pillow. Ariana blinked rapidly as she got her bearings, gazing around the station’s waiting area. Lydia seemed to have disappeared, but as Ariana straightened up, stretching her stiff muscles, Lydia appeared back around the corner running a hand through her long hair.

 

“Ari, you’re awake. Good!” she exclaimed as she glanced over at Ariana, moving towards her, forcing a smile onto her lips.

 

Ariana nodded as she stood up, handing back Lydia’s jacket. “Yeah, what happened? What did I miss?”

 

Lydia sighed as she nodded for Ariana to follow her back to where Meredith was being held. “Well Meredith didn’t talk to Deaton at all and his abilities weren’t strong enough to get through her mind. Anyway, he had to head back to the clinic.” Lydia shrugged as she glanced back at Ariana. “Oh, and Peter arrived so he’s just in with Meredith now. I would have woken you earlier but you looked like you needed some rest,” she explained with a quick apologetic look.

 

Ariana offered up a grateful smile to the older girl as she fell into step with her, rounding the corner easily now that she felt substantially more awake. She was slightly surprised that she’d managed to have such a successful nap given the nightmares floating in her mind now, but then again maybe her body had finally decided to take a well needed rest.

 

As they reached Meredith’s cell again, Ariana noticed the man now sitting across from her, Peter Hale. So this was another Hale, although she didn’t recall his name on the deadpool. He was frowning at Meredith, his expression screaming of confusion and tension.

 

“They're all gone,” Meredith suddenly whispered as she lifted one hand to Peter’s face, her voice barely audible to those standing outside the glass. Ariana frowned as she watched Meredith in confusion, but it seemed to make sense to Lydia who gave a small gasp as she took a step backwards.

 

“Oh, my God. They have met before,” Lydia said softly, staring at Peter and Meredith.

 

Ariana glanced back at Lydia, her brow furrowed with unease. “When? What is she talking about?”

 

Lydia opened her mouth to answer but paused, her focus still trained intently on Peter and Meredith on the other side of the glass, watching like she was waiting for something.

 

“You don’t remember?” Meredith was asking now, her eyes wide as she stared at Peter.

 

“No,” Peter replied, but something flickered in his expression. It was brief, but Ariana caught it, frowning as she tried to follow what was happening. Peter wasn’t finished though, his eyes flashing with something dark. “But maybe you do,”

 

Before anyone could react, Peter’s arm was already swinging halfway, swiftly knocking out the deputy officer standing by, his other hand stretching out towards Meredith.

 

“Parrish!” The Sheriff let out a yell, presumably to the officer who was now lying motionless on the cold floor, as Lydia gave her own incoherent shout, pushing past Ariana and rushing into the room just as Peter flicked out a deadly set of werewolf claws, pushing them deep into Meredith’s neck.

 

Ariana stood in the doorway, watching in horror as everyone sprinted into action. The Sheriff’s gun appeared in his hands faster than Ariana could blink, just as Parrish jumped to his feet, gun also in hand. So this was Jordan Parrish, another number on the deadpool. Ariana eyed him briefly, her mind whirling through the supernatural possibilities of what he could be.

 

Both the officers were now aiming their weapons at Peter though, quickly pulling Ariana from her thoughts, but Lydia was already standing between them, hands flung out in front of her.

 

“Don’t touch them!” Lydia cried out, her gaze on Peter.

 

“What is he doing?” Ariana asked, torn between terror and curiosity as she watched Meredith’s eyes widening, staring off into the distance like she was seeing a ghost. She’d assumed Peter had been trying to kill Meredith, since stabbing someone in the neck didn’t exactly sound like it offered many other options, but Meredith was still breathing, now mumbling something half under her breath.

 

“It’s a form of memory manipulation,” Lydia said quietly, her hands still held out in front of her to keep the two guns from firing. “He’s accessing her memories, seeing through her eyes…”

 

“Can you understand what she’s saying?” the sheriff was looking at Lydia, his gruff face questioning as he lowered his gun back down finally. 

 

Lydia hesitated as she leaned closer to Meredith, eyes trained on the other banshee as she listened to Meredith’s murmurs. “She was in the hospital. The same hospital,” Lydia said, her voice hushed.

 

“Same as who?” Parrish asked, seemingly just as in the dark as Ariana right now.

 

“Peter.” Lydia said, glancing up at Parrish. “It was right after the Hale fire when he went into the coma. Meredith could hear him.”

 

Ariana was still clearly out of the loop and she took an uneasy step closer to everyone, hugging her arms to her chest protectively. “Hear what?” she asked, unsure if she even wanted to know the answer judging by the look on Lydia’s face.

 

Lydia was shaking her head in disbelief as she spoke, “Everything. She was hearing every thought in Peter’s head, like they'd somehow found the same wavelength. Everything going through his mind was also going right into hers.”

 

Ariana stared at Meredith and Peter, her own eyes taking in the way Meredith’s eyelids continued to flutter as she mumbled away.

 

The Sheriff was still watching Peter with a look of suspicion as he kept one hand on his waist where his gun was tucked, ready. “For how long?” he asked warily.

 

Lydia glanced up at the sheriff with wide eyes. “Weeks. Maybe even months. It was almost like he was standing right over her bed talking about the fire. About getting revenge. He planned the entire thing. He was going to round up every supernatural creature in Beacon Hills and hire people to wipe them out. It was all him and- wait-” Lydia cut herself off, frowning down at Meredith as the other banshee began to twitch again, her mumbling getting more frantic. Peter seemed to be struggling too, his head twitching slightly as his brow furrowed.

 

“What? What is it?” the Sheriff frowned as he focused back on Lydia and Ariana followed his gaze, although her eyes kept being tugged back to Peter. 

 

Lydia was shaking her head, the frown deepening on her face as she watched Meredith. “It’s like…there’s something wrong with her memories. Like they’re not working or something.”

 

“What do you mean?” Ariana asked.

 

Lydia was still focusing on Meredith as she tried to understand what was happening, her brow furrowed. “I don’t- I don’t know. It’s like the memories are blurry and skipping in pieces. Like something is missing…”

 

Ariana’s eyes flickered between Peter and Meredith, her heart racing as she tried to comprehend what was going on right now.

 

“Anyone can become a killer for the right price because when it comes down to it, everyone can be corrupted by money,” Meredith whispered, her eyes still half rolled back as she recited Peter’s words, her mind still stuck in the memory. As she spoke, Peter pulled his claws out of her neck, stumbling back until he was on the floor, while Parrish rushed forwards to protect Meredith, holding her up before she could keel over.

 

“It was your idea and you don’t even remember,” Lydia said bluntly, staring coldly down at Peter as the sheriff moved beside her, his gun aimed down at Peter’s temple.

 

“She was listening to the ranting and raving of a lunatic! A former lunatic. I'm much healthier now. I had nothing to do with this,” Peter said, defending himself as he leaned back against the wall, hands held up as he focused on the gun currently pointed at him.

 

Ariana stepped back, pressing her back against the cold metal door as she felt her own heart rate beginning to increase a little. Meredith had obviously been just repeating what she’d heard from Peter, but the truth cut a little too deep for the small druid. As awful as this all was, he’d had a point. Anyone could be corrupted for the right price. Wasn’t that exactly how she’d ended up as one third of the most powerful assassin group in the county? Ariana had always tried not to focus on the truth of what she was doing, killing for money.

 

But Peter was right. She was just as terrible as him. A wave of tremors flickered off of Ariana’s finger tips, not quite reaching the ground, but enough to make her sway slightly.

 

The sheriff was glaring down at Peter, unrelenting as he held the gun steady, one finger on the trigger. “It was still your words, Peter. If she was following your lead on this, then how do we know there isn't more-” 

 

“I- I need to go,” Ariana said abruptly, cutting the Sheriff off as she clenched her fists tightly, wrapping them firmly around her body. Lydia’s eyes flickered down to Ariana’s trembling hands, before nodding quickly.

 

Not wanting to wait any further for another natural disaster to slip out of her fingers, Arian quickly pushed the door open, slipping back out into the corridor as she tried desperately to control her breathing. She barely paid any attention to the officers passing by, her only focus on trying to prevent another earthquake.

 

“Ari?”

 

“Lucas, what are you doing here?” Ariana came to a halt halfway down the corridor, staring up at Lucas with a frown. He was standing at the end of the corridor, a stack of papers in his hands. There was something odd in his expression as he moved towards her, but he quickly arranged it into a warm grin, his head staying cocked slightly in confusion.

 

“Just some paperwork from the hospital. There’s been a few car accidents this week so we’ve got a few reports for the police. It’s fine.” Lucas explained with a shrug and a roll of his eyes. “Just a few too many crazy animals roaming the streets lately, that all. What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Are you being questioned for something? Are you in trouble?” He fired several questions at Ariana, his arms already reaching out to pull her into one of his big bear hugs.

 

Ariana ignored the vague confusion in the back of her brain, instead moving towards Lucas instinctively and quickly relaxing into his warmth. “I’m fine,” she assured him as she pressed her cheek against his chest, taking a deep breath and letting her heartbeat return to a normal at his touch.

 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Lucas said firmly as he pulled away to look at her properly, his eyes skimming over her entire body for some kind of clue, furrowing his brow in concern.

 

“Ariana was just here to meet with me,” Lydia interrupted from behind them, flashing Lucas a winning smile as she tilted her head slightly. “We’re doing some AP Chemistry tutor prep today but I had to drop something off here first,”

 

“What exactly?”

 

“Just dinner for the Sheriff. I’m a friend of his son,” Lydia answered easily, delivering her lie without a moment of hesitation. “Anyway, we should get going before it gets too late, sweetie.” She flashed another bright smile to Lucas as she ushered Ariana onwards, and Ariana offered Lucas a helpless look as she let herself be dragged away. As she glanced back, she caught his odd expression resurface, almost like he knew something she didn’t.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

“It’s over! The deadpool is finished.” Scott’s voice rang out through the warehouse, clear and firm as he held a cellphone up like a white flag.

 

His words cut through Genevieve’s body, and she felt herself freezing in place, disbelieving at the concept that this battle was really over. The hunter trapped underneath her pushed himself out of her grip, taking advantage of her temporary paralysis and bolting for the door without a moment of hesitation.

 

Genevieve stumbled back, wrapping her clawed hands around her body to hide them out of sight as she struggled to bring her breathing back to normal now that the fight was over. It seemed hopeless though and the longer Genevieve waited, the more anxious she began to feel as her claws stayed put, her eyes still shifting between yellow and hazel. 

 

Lori moved beside her, eyes a little too wide as she watched Genevieve carefully. “Are you okay?” Lori asked quietly, leaning a little closer. “Do you want me to to get Brett? Or Satomi?”

 

Genevieve inhaled sharply, nodding although she was barely paying attention to anything Lori was saying. All she knew was that she had no control right now and it terrified her almost more than the attacks moments ago. Kira seemed to notice something wrong and reached out for Satomi who was standing nearby. Satomi moved over to Genevieve quickly, hands brushing over the other werewolves as she passed them, reassuring them while remaining focused on Genevieve’s current situation.

 

“It’s okay, child. What have I been teaching you? Three things cannot be long hidden. What are they?” Satomi asked calmly, seeming unfazed by the small werewolf in front of her.

 

“The sun,” Genevieve pushed out, clenching her eyes shut as she tried to focus on Satomi’s voice, her mind sifting back to the last few days and the lessons Satomi had patiently guided her through.

 

“Yes, and?”

 

Genevieve took another choked attempt at a breath. “The moon,” she managed to say, her fists slowly beginning to unclench themselves, the blood trickling down her wrists although the wounds were already healing themselves up.

 

Satomi gave a hum of acknowledgement but she wasn’t finished yet. “Good, and what else?”

 

“The truth,” Genevieve breathed out, slowly opening her hazel eyes as she felt her hands returning to normal.

 

“There we go. Good girl,” Satomi said, patting Genevieve’s cheek gently, offering a rare but kind smile.

 

Nearby, Argent was watching Genevieve, but there was no judgement in his eyes like she feared there would be. He almost looked like he was seeing a ghost and there was a brief moment of tension as he locked eyes with Genevieve.

 

Finally a look of comprehension appeared in his eyes as he nodded to himself, letting out a breath. “I knew you looked familiar,” he said, taking a slow step closer to Genevieve. She didn’t move, watching him warily as she waited. His eyes were lighting up with realisation now.“You look just like your mother.”

 

Genevieve stared, uncomprehending. “You…you knew my mother?”

 

Argent nodded, not seeming to fully understand the bombshell he was currently in the process of dropping. “I did, indeed. I was a hunter for many years and the Argents made a point to know all of the packs passing through the region.”

 

“Wait…My mother was a werewolf?” Genevieve stared, disbelief ringing through her tone.

 

Brett was moving over now, having finally reunited with Lori nearby. He rested a hand on Genevieve’s shoulders protectively,frowning up at Argent. “That’s impossible,” he said bluntly. “Isn’t it?” he asked, turning to look at Satomi whose face was almost unreadable right now.

 

“Both of your parents were,” Argent continued, shrugging. “They were quite a powerful pair of alphas. They put up quite a fight whenever we went against them. We lost track of that pack a long time ago though. I assume they went into hiding or moved away.”

 

“But…but wouldn’t that make me a born werewolf? Why didn’t I know until last Friday?” Genevieve turned to Satomi, eyes widening as she felt her heart constricting a little. She’d spent her entire life ignoring any mentions of her parents, not wanting to know what she’d missed. She’d never been tempted to look into who they were, or what happened to them, but suddenly she was full of questions.

 

“I- I don’t know,” Satomi said, frowning as she turned to give a serious look to Scott who had overheard the discussion and moved closer, falling into place beside the older alpha.

 

“I think we need to talk to Ariana,” Scott said finally.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

“Everything is still going according to plan,” Kate said, shrugging her shoulders carelessly as she watched Peter pacing, the dim lighting in the sewer casting eerie shadows as he moved. Kate remained unfazed though, even as Peter threw his hostile gaze towards her. “Sure, the game pieces aren’t moving exactly how we wanted but they’re still falling into place.”

 

Peter nodded slowly, folding his arms across his chest as he paused in his pacing to look at her again. “Still, that was close. Too close.”

 

“I agree.”

 

Kate and Peter’s heads turned, almost in sync, at the sound of the voice echoing from down the sewage corridor. For a moment there was a tense silence, followed by the sound of footsteps moving closer until finally the source of the voice was visible, dark eyes meeting Peter’s as he moved into the dim light.

 

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Peter, letting them interrogate Meredith like that. She could’ve given it all away. If they knew you had someone else encouraging you to make that deadpool this would all be over.”

 

Peter rolled his eyes, unaffected. “Relax Lucas, you’re in the clear.”

 

Lucas moved a step closer, his height allowing him to loom a little over Peter for a moment as he raised an eyebrow. “Oh I’m not worried about me. If anything went wrong it’s you she’d be coming for. You and I both know that.”

 

“Hey, you can’t blame me here. My memories were blocked. I wonder who I have to thank for that?” Peter raised an eyebrow right back at Lucas as he folded his arms across his chest. 

 

“Hey, I had nothing to do with that. The only mind I touched was Meredith’s and you’re lucky I got to the station when I did. Any longer and she would have told them everything,” Lucas defended himself, straightening up slightly. “But you’d better be step carefully from now on. No more mistakes like that.”

 

Kate was smart, choosing to keep her distance and leaning back against the wall of the sewer as she watched Lucas carefully. “Is that a threat?” she asked, her tone careless although there was a look close to fear in her eyes.

 

“Not at all. Just a warning. Look, just stick to the plan and we can all get what we need. But stick to the plan,” Lucas repeated, giving Peter a long hard look.

 

“Of course I will. I’m not backing out now. Not when I’m this close to killing Scott McCall.”

 

Lucas nodded slowly, his jaw clenching as he studied Peter carefully. “You’ll get what you want but only when _she_ says so, and not a moment sooner. You can bend the rules Peter, but remember, you don’t make them.”


	20. Match

The large white door swung shut with a heavy thud, causing the walls around it to shudder slightly before coming back to a cold stillness, leaving Alan Deaton alone in a small room within of Eichen House’s lesser known floors - well he wasn’t not entirely alone.

 

“Doctor Valack?” Alan slowly approached the glass, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim lighting behind it. After a moment he was able to make out a male figure sitting on a small bed wearing a white t-shirt and white pants although they had both faded to a dirty grey. More notably, there was a blood-stained bandage tightly wrapped around his forehead as he stared back at Alan.

 

“You must be important. They don’t usually let people get this close,” Valack said slowly, sizing up Alan as he slowly closed the book in his hands.

 

Alan kept his distance, watching Valack closely. “I was hoping we could talk. My name is Doctor Alan Deaton.”

 

Valack dropped his head with an air of amusement, shaking it slightly as he looked back up at Alan, a sly grin already sinking onto his face. “Oh I know your speciality, Doctor Deaton. And I know it's not cats and dogs.” He moved closer to the glass, both eyes steady on Alan although they had a slightly manic gleam in them. “I know why you’re here. The Threefold.”

 

Alan hesitated, suddenly caught off guard by the unexpected phrase. “Threefold?” he repeated back, eyebrow furrowed in confusion.

 

Valack gazed back at him for a moment, lips pursed in thought. He tilted his head slightly, studying Alan. Then finally he gave a small nod, clasping his hands together. “Ah. Not yet. No…You want to know about La Loba. The Bone Woman.”

 

Alan nodded slowly, his mind still halfway stuck on what Valack had just said before. Threefold. He’d had his own suspicions of course, ever since Ariana had revealed her own heartbreaking sacrifice, being forced to kill her own best friend only to gain her abilities shortly afterwards. The timing had been too perfect, coinciding with Genevieve’s wolf abilities. There was no way Alan’s theory could be right, though. It didn’t fully add up. There were pieces missing. Unless Valack knew something he didn’t.

 

But there was no time for that, not right now when Scott’s life hung in the balance and when Valack clearly had information worth knowing. “Yes, I need you to tell me what you know. I need to know what Kate did to Derek Hale. And if he's dying,” Alan said firmly.

 

“Well if you want to know more Doctor Deaton, you’ll have to come closer.” Valack was still, hands clasped in front of himself as he watched Alan, a smug expression flickering on his face. He knew Alan had no other choice right now.

 

“I’ve been advised against that.” Alan stood his ground, watching Valack closely. “I only want to talk. To hear what you know.”

 

Valack was unmoved, only raising an eyebrow at Alan’s refusal. “You need to see what I know. You do that by coming closer,” he explained smoothly, lifting the bandage from his forehead to reveal a grotesque gaping hole in the centre of his forehead. It was bleeding slightly, clearly still an open wound and the sight caused Alan to recoil, but only slightly. He’d seen much worse in his time as a vet, but the sight was still unpleasant.

 

“I don't know much about trepanation, but I'm relatively certain that just because you drilled a hole in your own head, it doesn't mean you've somehow gifted yourself with extra-sensory perception,” Alan remarked dryly, his brow furrowing slightly as he pulled his gaze from the hole back to Valack’s own eyes.

 

A small smile slipped up Valack’s lips as he moved an inch closer to the glass, almost pressing against it. “Come a little closer. Take a look for yourself.”

 

It was his only choice right now. The only option left. Alan inhaled slowly, nodding his head as he took a step closer to the glass, eyes slowly beginning to focus on the hole in the centre of Valack’s forehead, but it no longer looked like a hole. It was an eye.

 

It only took a moment before the trance took hold, his eyes glossing over as he slipped into the vision, his mind already far away in the middle of Mexico.

 

_————————————————————————————————————_

 

_“Like I said, you’re smart. Figure it out.” Kate shrugged._

 

_Ariana stared back at her, frustration building inside as she clenched her fists tightly. “You killed both of my friends. You owe me an explanation, or answers, or just something!”_

 

_Kate was unperturbed. “Both? Well hang on, I don’t think it’s fair for me to claim responsibility for that, when you and I both know who really killed Violet. I mean I would’ve loved to finish the job but that was your task, not mine.”_

 

_“My task? What, so you left her dying so I’d finish it for you? Why would you do that?” Ariana glared at Kate, the very idea sickening her slightly. She flexing her fists, almost as if it was an unconscious twitch. There was no sign of any earthquakes flowing from her though as she struggled to keep her breath steady,_

 

_“Sorry kid, I was just following orders.”_

 

“Ari? Ari, did you hear me?”

 

Ariana jolted out of the jarring flashback at the sound of her name, snapping her head across the bed to where Liam was sitting. His Chemistry notebook was open on his lap as he looked at her patiently although he’d clearly called her name several times already.

 

“Right, sorry. I’m listening,” Ariana said firmly, shaking her head to clear it as she shifted to face Liam properly again.

 

“How am I the one actually paying attention right now? Normally you’re the one bugging me to stay focused,” Liam quipped lightly, tossing his pen up in the air and catching it easily as he watched Ariana.

 

Ariana tugged the corners of her mouth into what she hoped was a convincing smile. “I’m fine! Keep going,” she said, gesturing towards the textbook for Liam to continue with whatever question he’d been about to ask. 

 

Liam didn’t continue though, his brow furrowing slightly as he studied her. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. “What’s wrong? I mean everything is good right now. Like actually good. The Deadpool is over, there’s no more assassins running after us…”

 

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired,” Ariana brushed off Liam’s concerns, glancing down Liam’s notebook to work out where they were up to, desperate to move away from Kate’s words that were still haunting her. She couldn’t fully escape it though, no matter how much time passed.

 

It had been a week since the Benefactor’s list had been shut down now. A week since their living nightmare had come to a jarring and somewhat anticlimactic halt. A week since that banshee Meredith had revealed how she’d let Peter Hale’s plans play out without his knowledge. It had also been just over a week since Ariana’s entire world had been violently turned upside down, losing the closest people in her life and gaining new unexplainable abilities. She could hardly be blamed for feeling a little exhausted lately.

 

Liam didn’t seem convinced by her words though, shifting closer to her as he reached one hand up to brush over her cheek gently. “Is it the nightmares?” he asked, cocking his head sideways as he squinted a little at her.

 

Ariana frowned, well aware that she’d made a point not to mention her constant nightmares to Liam. It was rare to get a full night’s sleep these days, no matter if she was crashing at Liam’s house or in Scott’s spare bedroom, the endless chaos of the last few weeks constantly replaying in her dreams every night. Sometimes it was Garrett’s body falling onto the road from afar. Sometimes it was her own hands covered in blood as she looked down at Violet’s dull eyes. And sometimes it was Kate, staring cooly down at her, her words floating around in Ariana’s mind: _“Like I said, you’re smart. Figure it out.”_

 

“How do you know about the nightmares?” Ariana asked Liam, drawing her knees up to her chest as she leaned into Liam’s touch.

 

“I hear you sometimes,” Liam shrugged. “Mostly mumbling, but you always sound sad. Sometimes- sometimes you talk about Violet and Garrett.” His voice softened suddenly, like he was stepping over eggshells and the smallest raise of volume would break them. Like she was the eggshells, ready to break at any moment.

 

Ariana felt her body tensing slightly, waiting for Liam to expand on what he’d heard. Terrified that she may have revealed more details of those nightmares. She’d re-lived Violet’s final moments too many nights in a row to count now, and the idea of accidentally revealing those horrific details to Liam made her heart drop in her chest.

 

Liam didn’t continue though, too busy brushing a lock of hair gently out of Ariana’s eyes. His touch was gentle, like he was afraid any big movements would break her. There was no disdain in his eyes though, no judgements for what she’d done.

 

Satisfied that her secret was safe for a little longer, Ariana heaved in a big breath, nodding slowly as she tried to find a response. “I didn’t know I was waking you up. I’m sorry,” she replied finally.

 

“No. It’s okay,” Liam brushed off her apology clumsily. “I- I’m usually awake already when I hear you.” He was staring down at Ariana’s knees where her hands sat, clasped too tightly together, causing her knuckles to whiten a little.

 

Ariana tilted to face Liam properly, squinting slightly as she studied his face. She’d been so overwhelmed with her own thoughts lately that she’d barely noticed the dark circles deepening under Liam’s blue eyes but there they were.

 

“You aren’t sleeping?” Ariana asked, lifting a hand to gently brush two fingers over the Liam’s face. She traced the circles under his eyes, the tired lines suggesting hours of stolen hours of sleep.

 

Liam cast his eyes down, eyelids flickering shut briefly at her touch as he heaved a sigh. “Not really. Not since the berserkers at the hospital.” His voice wavered slightly but he coughed quickly afterwards, clearly uncomfortable with the admission.

 

Ariana bit her lip, shifting closer to him until he looked up at her again. “I didn’t know,” she said softly. “You should’ve told me.” The guilt weighed down on her suddenly, the realisation that she’d been so preoccupied with her own problems that she hadn’t even noticed Liam suffering too.

 

“Well I didn’t know about your nightmares,” Liam shot back, no real bite behind his words but he had a point. They’d both gone through a lot lately and sometimes it was hard to know where the two of them stood. There had been hardly any time to discuss supernatural issues, much less their own personal issues right now.“Are they bad?”

 

Ariana dropped her hand back into her lap, staring at her bitten down nails with a short nod. “Yes.”

 

Liam paused, watching her for a moment. “What happens?” he asked softly.

 

“Sometimes it’s berserkers. Mostly I’m stuck watching Garrett bleeding out in the middle of the road.” Ariana stared at the wall across the room, studying the cracks and bumps in it, refusing to meet Liam’s gaze as she inhaled slowly, keeping her heartbeat calm and steady in case Liam caught the lie. Of course she dreamt about Garrett, but the real stars of her nightmares lately were Violet’s dying eyes and Kate’s bitter and manipulative mouth twisted into that awful smirk.

 

Liam didn’t notice her heartbeat flickering, or if he did he probably just assumed it was the grief affecting her, rather than the guilt crushing itself down over her chest. “You never talk about that. I’m sorry,” he offered finally, his thumb gently brushing over Ariana’s chin and moving up to her lower lip, the touch soothing her slightly even if it did cause her heart to flutter for half a beat.

 

“It’s fine. I mean, it will be. Eventually,” Ariana said after a moment, letting her eyes cast back down to her lap as she took a slow breath in, Kate’s words slipping back into her mind. _“You’ll figure it out.”_ Figure what out? What had she meant? What was Ariana missing? The lack of information irritated her more than she wanted to admit, the questions continuing to itch in her mind.

 

Liam was quiet for a moment, studying her closely again. “There’s something else bothering you though. What is it?”

 

Ariana bit her lip hesitantly, the war in her head raging wildly over how much truth to reveal to Liam. “I just…I just feel like something is still missing. Like there’s this giant puzzle I can’t work out and I don’t even know what part I’m looking for.” Frustration seeped into her tone as she spoke, one hand running through her long hair, tugging viciously at the knots.

 

Liam reached out to stop her from pulling all her hair out, a wise move. He took her hand in his, brushing a thumb over her knuckles to sooth the tension sitting in them. “What do you mean?” he pressed.

 

Ariana let out a small huff, running her free hand over her face as she tried to collect her thoughts enough to explain her frustration.

 

“You’re still thinking about the pack meeting the other day?” Liam asked when Ariana didn’t continue. He shifted slightly closer to her, his brow furrowed.

 

Ariana pursed her lips, memories of that meeting flooding back to her again. Scott had called a little gathering right after the Benefactor’s list had ended, claiming there were several things that needed clearing up. The only real thing they’d determined was that Genevieve’s parents were apparently alpha werewolves, which only added to the never-ending mysteries occurring right now.

 

Everyone had turned to Ariana, somehow expecting her to have answers or an idea on what to do next, but she’d just felt herself sinking deeper into a sense of overwhelming panic and ended up yelling at Stiles twice before Scott decided the meeting was useless without more information. Ariana wasn’t exactly sure what Scott had expected from the pack meeting though. She didn’t know any more than anyone else.

 

Well that wasn’t entirely true. Kate’s words continued to float around her mind, the suggestion that Ariana was part of something much bigger. The allusion to Genevieve and her being connected somehow.The awareness that none of the last few weeks events had happened by chance. The vivid feeling that something much bigger was coming and they were just sitting around blindly waiting.

 

The worst part about all of this was that no one else seemed as concerned as Ariana. It had been a week since that pack meeting and now it felt like everyone else was easing back into their usual daily routines, all relaxing a little more each day while Ariana continued to fight the war in her own mind.

 

Genevieve had barely spoken to her since Brett had arrived to pick her up from the pack meeting, probably taking her back to Satomi’s pack again. Or maybe back to her foster home, wherever that was right now. The two girls hadn’t even talked at school despite the odd connection they now shared. Genevieve was still determined to avoid her, casting her eyes down any time they crossed in the hallways and sitting as far from her as possible during their joined classes. It was frustrating, to say the least.

 

“It’s just weird,” Ariana said finally, deflating a little. “I know things are supposed to be good now. The deadpool is over and we’re supposed to be safe…”

 

“But?” Liam pressed, nudging her knee with his own when she didn’t continue. “What is it?”

 

Ariana sighed, shaking her head a little as she puckered her lips for a moment, brow furrowed a little in thought. “I don’t know. I just feel like I’m waiting for something worse to happen,” she said finally. 

 

“Hey, nothing has come for us all week. The bad stuff is over. I know it’s probably been hard for you. You’ve been fighting longer than any of us,” Liam said softly with a little shrug. “But the worst part is over now.”

 

He sounded more sure than Ariana, and she had to admit he had a point. She’d been fighting to survive ever since she could remember, from foster care to working as an assassin. She wasn’t even sure how to live any other way.

 

“What about you?” she asked after a moment, not wanting to linger on the dark thoughts making her doubt her ability to live a life without threats. “The full moon is in a few days. Aren’t you worried?”she asked.

 

“No,” Liam answered quickly.

 

Ariana raised an eyebrow, watching the way Liam’s brow twitched at his own lie.

 

“Yes,” Liam sighed. “I think I’m more worried about the game tomorrow night. Devenford again. And it’s an actual match this time…” He squinted for a moment at the memory of his last run-in with Devenford, clearly still a sore spot for him.

 

Ariana remembered that lacrosse match all too well herself, the night she’d attempted to take down Brett and ended up losing everything instead. That had been the last time she’d seen Violet, and the night she and Liam had finally seen each other’s true selves. Not a pleasant memory, for sure. The crinkle in her brow returning again as Liam’s hand continued to brush over her whitened knuckles.

 

“Hey, everything is going to be fine, okay?” Liam said as he noticed her expression, reaching up to cup Ariana’s face in his hands, staring into her eyes as he spoke. “I’m going to get through this match and the full moon. You’re going to solve everything because you’re crazy smart. And then we’ll both get a good night’s sleep. And then we’re going to go ice skating,” he finished with a small nod of satisfaction at his own little plan.

 

“That…is the smartest thing you’ve said all night,” Ariana said, unable to fight back the smile slipping up her lips as she leaned forward to press her lips against his.

 

Liam’s blue eyes brightened up, pleased at himself for successfully cheering her up, before drifting shut as he kissed her back, one hand snaking up into her dark hair to tug her closer as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. Ariana let her hands drift up to wrap around Liam’s neck as he shifted to lower her down across the bed, one hand ghosting across her hip, trailing along the edge of her skirt as his warm body pressed gently against hers.

 

If there were any monsters lurking in the shadows, Liam and Ariana were blissfully unaware, too busy focusing on each other as they let the supernatural worries float out of their minds for a small moment.

 

_————————————————————————————————————_

 

Genevieve couldn’t remember the last time she’d come to a school event, especially a big crowded event like tonight’s lacrosse game. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been at a lacrosse game willingly, not counting the times that Corey and his boyfriend Lucas had dragged her out, insisting she’d enjoy herself. She never could, of course. She just spent the entire time panicking that she’d miss her curfew and get another punishment from her foster carers.

 

She still wasn’t entirely sure how she had ended up here tonight, to be honest. Brett had asked her to come watch though, and Genevieve had taken one look up at his dreamy eyes before quickly agreeing. She’d forgotten that he would be on the field though, leaving her alone almost as soon as they’d arrived at Beacon Hills High School. Now she was stuck sitting in the stands alone, wishing that Lori hadn’t been overwhelmed with homework so she’d at least have another friend by her side.

 

She supposed she could go and find Ariana, as awkward as that felt, but she didn’t even know how to talk to Ariana anymore. They still hadn’t had a proper conversation and honestly Genevieve didn’t even know what she wanted Ariana to say. An apology for the past felt a little redundant now, after everything they’d just been thrown into. It was easier to just keep her distance for the meantime. Even during the little meeting with Scott and his pack the other day, Genevieve had just kept her focus on Scott and Kira, speaking almost exclusively to them whenever a question was directed to her.

 

The only thing everyone seemed to care about was Genevieve’s parents and unfortunately for everyone, Genevieve knew next to nothing about them. She didn’t even know if they were still alive. While Ariana had spent their childhood memorising every fact she could about her parents, Genevieve had been the polar opposite, determined not to know anything. None of it mattered anyway. Either way, they weren’t around. If they were dead, she didn’t know them enough to mourn them and they were alive then they’d abandoned her. There was no option that gave her any sense of peace.

 

So Genevieve chose blissful ignorance, which had still managed to backfire. Instead she was now forced to think about them, to wonder who these two alphas were and where they were now. To wonder what had caused them to abandon her. To wonder what had happened to cause her delayed abilities. So much speculation that it was like Genevieve was just stuck halfway to a panic attack now, with no real release as she waited for something to set her off.

 

“Genny!”

 

Genevieve’s head whipped around at the sound of her nickname falling from her best friend’s lips, her eyes immediately spotting Corey as he weaved his way through the crowd of students. He had a determined look in his eyes as he pushed through the group of juniors who didn’t even seem to notice his presence. Genevieve noticed him though. She’d been friends with Corey long enough to spot him easily amongst the crowd, immediately picking out his sunny smile and dirty blonde hair sticking up in ways that seemed to defy nature.

 

Finally Corey had a clear path and he bounded the last few steps towards Genevieve, immediately engulfing her in a warm hug the moment he was close enough to touch, arms wrapping around her tiny frame.

 

“Corey! Hey!” Genevieve responded, her voice slightly muffled against his shoulder, half talking into his red hoodie as he squeezed his arms around her tightly.

 

“What happened to you, Gen? I feel like you disappeared off the planet,” Corey said, accusation slipping into his tone as he finally pulled away to examine Genevieve, hands clinging to her shoulders to keep her in place. “Are you okay? Was it Kathryn? Did she do something to you? Was it her boyfriend again?” he fired several questions down at her as his eyes scanned her body, searching for answers.

 

Genevieve quickly shook her head in assurance, offering up a bright smile. “No, I’m fine. Doug hasn’t been around in weeks anyway,” she said hurriedly, brushing over the memory of the last time her foster mother’s boyfriend had been around, reeking of alcohol and aggression.

 

“Then what? Where have you been?” Corey asked, eyes narrowing a little.

 

Genevieve bit her lip, reaching a hand up to the long red plait falling across her shoulder. She fiddled with the ends of her hair as she tried to work out the best way to answer Corey. She had a feeling that blurting out the truth about being a werewolf who had spent the last few days being hunted by assassins, who was now forced to try and search for her parents after years of pushing any thoughts of them away, wouldn’t exactly roll of her tongue too easily.

 

“I’ve just had a lot going on,” she said awkwardly after a moment. “Trust me, it’s a super tedious story. But I’m fine!” she insisted when Corey raised an eyebrow at her. “Anyway, where is your boyfriend at?”

 

Corey rolled his eyes, easily accepting the change of conversation. “Lucas’s family has some lame family dinner that he couldn’t skip,” he sighed, leading Genevieve into the stands and up to an empty section on the benches.

 

Genevieve wrinkled her nose as she eased herself onto the empty spot beside Corey. Knowing Lucas, he just hadn’t been able to talk himself out of the family dinner, the poor boy with his inability to say anything that might upset his parents. The three of them really did make a terrible trio, all as passive as each other. It was a miracle any of them ever got anything done. Then again, Genevieve couldn’t get mad at Lucas when she knew she’d give anything to have a family who insisted on regular dinners.

 

As the rest of the students piled into the stands, all bumping and jostling against each other, Genevieve huddled beside Corey, ready for a night of distractions. She hadn’t realised how much she needed a normal night until now. A night with no supernatural drama, no assassins, no wolfing out. The full moon wasn’t until the following night and while Genevieve was worried, Brett had already assured her he’d be by her side for every moment of it.

 

For now she just had to relax, to give herself a moment of normalcy with Corey. She could do that much. Maybe.

 

_———————————————————————————————————_

 

Ariana hugged her arms around her body tightly as she hovered beside Liam, well aware that she didn’t have much time before she would have to go sit down somewhere in the stands alone. She hadn’t even wanted to come to the lacrosse match tonight, but she knew Liam needed the support, especially with the full moon so close. “I don’t like this,” she muttered quietly. “Something feels wrong.” 

 

“He’ll be here. And so will Kira,” Stiles replied quietly, half under his breath, from where he sat on the bench just behind Ariana and Liam, fiddling with his lacrosse gear.

 

“Well Scott should be here now, helping Liam,” Ariana shot back, barely even looking over at Stiles. Her gaze was too busy focusing on Liam as he took a slow breath in, his eyes stuck gazing up at the full moon. “Do you feel okay?” Ariana asked Liam softly, brushing a hand against his, the warm contact letting her heart stutter momentarily.

 

Liam turned his hand over, grabbing hers and giving it a squeeze as he pulled his gaze back to her. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” he assured her, leaning forward to press his lips to hers. If he felt the slight tremors sifting through her body, he didn’t show it but his kiss seemed to calm the storm inside her. Ariana felt her body relax as she let a hand drift up to rest on Liam’s chest, tugging him a little closer as she moved her lips against his.

 

“Gross,” Stiles muttered, interrupting the moment. Liam pulled back reluctantly as Ariana tilted her head around him to give Stiles a withering glare which he quickly returned.

 

As she straightened up again, Ariana let her gaze move around the field, taking in the crowds of students still swarming through the stands and finding their seats. She barely took note of any of them, all just meaningless bodies, until one person caught her eyes, her entire mood immediately shifting.

 

“Hey, are _you_ okay?” Liam asked suddenly, following Ariana’s gaze to where Mason was hovering near the edge of the stands alone. Mason looked about as miserable as Ariana felt, but he was clearly trying to look like he was enjoying himself. He was failing, of course, giving it all away with the darting eyes and his slightly hunched posture, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

 

Ariana pulled her gaze away before she could meet Mason’s eyes, tugging a false smile onto her lips. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired,” she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders. The gesture caused her to tug slightly against Liam’s grip and she quickly squeezed his hands again in an attempt to reassure him. 

 

Liam raised a disbelieving eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder back at Mason. “Right. So you and Mason made up then?”

 

“No.” Ariana replied shortly, pulling her hands from Liam’s and folding her arms across her chest as she frowned up at him. “And you can’t talk! You haven’t talked to him properly for a week.”

 

“Don’t look at me like that! I don’t even know how to talk to him right now,” Liam quickly defended himself, narrowing his eyes slightly. “What am I supposed to say? ‘Sorry I’ve been weird it’s just I turned into a werewolf’? Yeah, that would go well. And why are you mad at him? I don't think he even knows.” Liam added, giving Ariana a look that implied he clearly had no idea either.

 

"He called my best friends murderers.” Ariana stared at Liam, eyes widening in disbelief and irritation. She knew he’d been out of it during the bonfire, but surely he’d been listening the last few times she’d complained about Mason’s bluntness.

 

“But they were murderers. You all were,” Liam said, raising both eyebrows at her. “No offence,” he added hastily as an afterthought. “But you can’t blame him for feeling like that, Ari. Everything he knew about Violet and Garrett probably feels like a lie. Like he doesn’t know how much of their friendship was even real- Oh.” Liam cut himself off, dropping his head down slightly. “You think he’d cut you off too if he found out the truth.”

 

“No.” Ariana shook her head sharply, deflecting. “It’s not that. I- Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t care. I just-” Ariana huffed in frustration, hugging her arms a little tighter to her small frame. “I just know that I miss my friends and Mason is one of the only people who would understand but he just hates them instead.”

 

“Well we can’t both avoid him. ” Liam said after a moment. “MASON!” he shouted out over Ariana’s head, his voice raising up to a pitch that sounded like he was trying to imitate Ariana’s tone. Before Ariana could even consider turning around, Liam was dropping a quick kiss on her lips before ducking off in the opposite direction towards the rest of his team, leaving her alone. Traitor.

 

Ariana let out an irritated huff as she glared after Liam but the damage was done now. Turning on her heel, she immediately locked eyes with Mason who had stopped in his tracks, staring at her with a mixed look in his eyes.

 

“Liam, you suck. You suck so much,” Ariana grumbled aloud, well aware that Liam’s wolf hearing would pick her words up. Still, she couldn’t hold it against him. He was clearly trying to do something good here and Mason was already moving towards her anyway.

 

The two of them met halfway, Mason’s hands shoved deep into his pockets as Ariana wrapped her arms around her body tightly, both giving off a strong vibe of uncertainty as they stood their ground, both unsure of who needed to talk first.

 

“So are we talking again?” Mason finally asked after a moment of scuffing his feet awkwardly on the grass. “Because I think this is the longest we’ve been in a fight and I’m this close to failing Chemistry right now. I don’t think I can handle another week.”

 

Ariana huffed out a breath of laughter, letting a smile slide halfway up her lips as she ducked her eyes to the ground. She hated fighting with Mason as much as he did, and she really couldn’t afford to push away any more friends right now.

 

Mason watched her, his eyes crinkling up slightly at the sound of her laugh. “Look,” he started again, running a hand over his face as he collected his thoughts. “I’m sorry about what I said. I’m not happy that Garrett and Violet are gone. It was just a lot to process, I guess. Finding out that they’re dead and then finding out that they were assassins…I didn’t really know how to deal.”

 

Ariana sighed, wrapping her arms around her body tightly as she listened to Mason. Finally she bit her lip, shaking her head lightly and letting her hair bounce gently across her shoulders. “No, it’s fine.”

 

“I shouldn’t have talked like that though,” Mason pressed on. “You lost them too, and I get it. I don’t know how much of their friendship with us was real, but it felt real.” He paused again, rubbing his hands together as he watched Ariana. “I…I’m just really sorry. And I don’t want to keep fighting with you.”

 

Ariana pursed her lips, inhaling deeply as she stared down at the muddy ground for a moment. “It’s fine,” she said again, pulling her gaze back up to Mason. “We were both just in shock. I didn’t really know how to deal either. I just miss my friends. And I missed you.”

 

Mason’s face lit up a little more, halfway to his regular winning smile as he looked down at her, the tension already slipping from his shoulders. “Great, well let’s go sit down and pretend to be interested in lacrosse together.”

 

“Our speciality,” Ariana quipped, her steps already feeling lighter as she bounced along beside Mason and towards the stands, ready to fake some interest in Liam’s match.

 

_———————————————————————————————————_

 

Genevieve hadn’t realised how boring she found lacrosse until she was stuck watching an entire match beside Corey who seemed to know as much as she did. They both did their best to cheer along with the rest of the students, but honestly Genevieve was just watching Brett most of the time, taking in the way he sprinted across the field with ease.

 

The rest of the time she was busy scanning the field for Kira. She’d overheard Kira’s friends talking about her and Scott and it seemed like the two of them were either running very late or something much more sinister was going on. Knowing the supernatural world within Beacon Hills now, Genevieve was already fearing the worst. She’d only just gotten to know Kira and she already felt close to the older girl, mostly because Kira had been one of the first people to really notice Genevieve, and she’d saved her life which put her pretty high up on Genevieve’s list of cool people. Plus, she knew Kira was the only girl on the Beacon Hills High’s lacrosse team which felt like a big deal so it definitely didn’t make sense for her to miss a match.

 

Genevieve’s focus was pulled suddenly to Kira’s friend, also on the team, as he jogged off the field, pausing to whisper to his dad who she recognised as Sheriff Stilinski. A moment later the boy was running off past the stands, disappearing into the night. Maybe he was going to find Kira. Maybe he knew where she was.

 

Either way, this worrying was distracting Genevieve from the game, or rather from gazing after Brett as he played.

 

“Hold up, was Number Twenty-Eight from Devenford just giving you a _look_?” Corey asked, eyes widening as he stared at Genevieve, puling her focus back to the match. Corey looked mildly impressed as his gaze shot back out to the field where Brett had resumed focusing on the ball, but Genevieve could spot a smirk flickering across the other werewolf’s face, a sign that he’d heard everything.

 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Genevieve finally responded, her eyes focusing on Brett as he twirled his lacrosse stick easily, clearly showing off for her. He glanced back up at her, a grin slipping up his lips before he turned around and sprinted across the field again.

 

“I mean the hottest guy on the Devenford team was just giving you dreamy eyes and I need more information,” Corey replied, nudging her shoulder playfully.

 

Genevieve nibbled on her bottom lip as she folded her arms across her chest, a sigh seeping out though her teeth as she watched Brett. “I don’t know what you want me to say?”

 

“Well do you know him?” Corey edged an inch closer to her, eyes widening with curiosity.

 

Genevieve wrinkled her nose a little with a shrug. “Yeah I guess.”

 

“Explain,” Corey pushed, nudging her knee with his as he waited for an answer.

 

Genevieve huffed, giving herself a moment to sort out through the last few weeks of events as she tried to work out how to best explain things to Corey without revealing everything. “Fine, his name is Brett and he’s another foster kid,” she offered finally. It was half true at least. He was technically fostered by Satomi these days as part of her pack. It felt true enough for her to say without feeling too guilty. “He’s just been helping me out lately with some stuff,” she finished with a shrug.

 

“Help you how? Did Kathryn kick you out again?” Corey asked, his voice rising slightly as his eyes widened with a mixture of panic and protectiveness.

 

“No, and she didn’t kick me out last time. She just forgot I was still there when she took in Jack so I lost my bed for a bit, that’s all.” Genevieve shrugged, ignoring the way Corey’s eyes crinkled with pity for a moment. “Look, it wasn’t really working with Kathryn so Brett’s foster family has been helping me,” Genevieve clasped her hands tightly together, pressing them into her lap as she stared intently out at the field, watching Brett moving swiftly past the other players.

 

“Well he looks like he’s interested in more than just helping you,” Corey quipped, waggling his eyebrows as Genevieve let out a scoff of embarrassment.

 

It wasn’t like she was clueless of course. She knew there was something potentially on the verge of happening, but Brett was yet to actually express any interest verbally yet. All he’d really done was hold her hand a few times but most of those instances revolved around protecting her from murderers, so she couldn’t really tell what he was thinking.

 

Not to mention, Brett was built like a Greek God and she was just a tiny ball of terror with not a lot to offer. There was no way Brett would actually date her. If anything, he was probably just being nice because of all of the supernatural chaos and the trauma she’d been put through. He was just being nice, that was all.

 

“He’s doesn’t like me like that,” Genevieve said finally, ignoring the wistful tone her voice had suddenly taken on without her permission.

 

Corey was quiet for a moment as he studied Genevieve, but she wasn’t paying attention anymore, too busy watching Brett on the field. He was standing over Liam Dunbar now, staring down at him and the tension brewing between them was almost overwhelming even for Genevieve. She watched, narrowing her eyes as her ears tuned into their conversation.

 

“Are you still alive?” Brett’s voice was clear but there was something underlying in his tone, causing Genevieve to sit a little straighter, curious.

 

She watched as Liam shuffled back a little on the ground, his glare clear even from a distance. “Obviously,” he spat out. Genevieve watched, trying to understand what was going on. She knew Brett and Liam had a bad history, but Brett hadn’t given a lot of information beyond that.

 

“Then _get up._ ” There was something under the tension in Brett’s voice, like a hint of a warning as he stared down at Liam.

 

Genevieve watched as Liam got up while the referee gave a careful warning to Brett. Brett didn’t seem fazed though, throwing Genevieve a quick glance as he sprinted back to position to resume playing. As they locked eyes for a moment, she couldn’t help noticing the way Brett’s eyes seemed to brighten a tiny bit before he turned his attention back to the ball again.

 

“Yeah, he’s not into you at all,” Corey muttered sarcastically from beside Genevieve, elbowing her gently as they both turned back to the game.

 

_————————————————————————————————————_

 

“Are you sure you heard him correctly?” Ariana asked as she followed Liam up to the front porch of Scott’s house, raising her eyebrows at him even though Liam couldn’t see her.

 

“Yes, he said that Kate took Scott and Kira to Mexico,” Liam said over his shoulder as he tugged the front door open,

 

“How does Stiles even know for sure though? I mean…Mexico?” Ariana continued doubtfully, but she followed Liam inside anyway. She’d missed most of the pack’s discussions the previous night, since Mason had insisted on a study session to ensure he didn’t fail Chemistry. It had been a good chance to reconnect with Mason and they’d had a fun little sleepover at his house, but she was slightly disappointed that she’d missed out on the big revelations about Scott’s whereabouts. Instead she’d just gotten back to Liam’s in the morning to find him already packing a duffel bag for Mexico without much more information beyond that.

 

Liam paused halfway through the entrance, turning to Ariana with a vague shrug. “Honestly Stiles didn’t say much more than that. I think Deaton found out somehow. But they seem pretty sure.”

 

Ariana let out a sigh as she followed Liam into the house, already certain that this was a terrible idea, although she did trust Deaton’s word. More importantly, the moment she’d heard Liam mention Kate she knew she had to tag along. That was non-negotiable as risky as the plan seemed.

 

Before Ariana could start to express her doubts to Liam, there was a thumping from the staircase and Stiles came bouncing around the corner with Malia just a step behind.

 

“Ugh, Liam. Ariana. Go home. You're not coming with us.” Stiles’s tone was blunt as he came to a halt in front of them. Malia fell in just behind him, her brow furrowed as she glanced back and forth between Liam, Ariana and Stiles.

 

"Why not?" Liam asked, a sulk brewing in his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest, looking up at Stiles defiantly. Ariana hung back half as step behind him, one eyebrow raised as she matched Liam’s defiant attitude.

 

Stiles was unfazed by the young werewolf’s attempts to intimidate him. ”Because, it's a full moon and I don't feel like driving all the way down to Mexico just to have you rip my throat out. And I don’t feel like travelling with someone who creates natural disasters when she’s stressed,” He added, throwing a snarky eyebrow towards Ariana who threw a withering glare back.

 

Liam remained stubborn though, not even moving an inch as he held his gaze on Stiles. “You can lock me up, right? Chain me down to the back seat or something? And Ari has it under control, right?”

 

“Right,” Ariana agreed, impressing herself with the way she threw out that careless lie. Of course she didn’t have her abilities under control, but she was sure she could keep herself calm long enough to get to Mexico.

 

“You tore through the last chains, remember?” Malia retorted, raising an eyebrow at Liam who ducked his eyes down momentarily at the memory.

 

“Yeah, we'd have to freeze you in carbonite to get you down there," Stiles added, a snarky eyebrow raised.

 

“Okay, then where do we get carbonite?” Liam asked, shrugging his shoulders.

 

Ariana bit her lip as she glanced over at Stiles, trying to remember what carbonite even was. She knew her chemicals and elements better than anyone in this room and she was coming up blank which was more than frustrating.

 

Stiles just gave Liam a squinty look, eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Seriously? You haven't seen it either?”

 

Ariana rolled her eyes in irritation. “Is this a dumb Star Trek reference?”

 

“Star. _Wars_.” Stiles emphasised, his eyes widening in horror back at Ariana. “Not you too?”

 

“Wait!” Liam cut Stiles before he could spiral off topic and start lecturing them about Star Wars. “What if we put me in the trunk?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

 

“You'd get out of that, too,” Malia shot Liam down bluntly.

 

“Liam, you’ve been a werewolf all of five minutes. You don’t have to do this,” Stiles said, exasperation ringing clear in his tone as he looked down at Liam.

 

Liam folded his arms. “I know I don’t, but I want to.”

 

“Maybe I can help. I can ask Deaton if he knows anything that could help,” Ariana offered. “He’s been giving me some tips on my abilities. Maybe he knows something that will help?”

 

Stiles narrowed his eyes at Ariana, seemingly contemplating her offer before he clucked his tongue and shook his head firmly. “No offence but you were literally trying to kill Scott a month ago. How do we know you’re even trying to help?”

 

“Stiles, leave her alone,” Liam cut in, glaring up at Stiles, an action which almost took away from his threat.“She’s with us now. You know that,” he pushed, hovering slightly in front of Ariana defensively.

 

“It’s fine, Liam.” Ariana shook her head, her hand brushing against Liam’s to calm him down before his rage could take over. She knew he was on the edge already with the full moon and the last thing they needed right now was to prove Stiles right.

 

“Anyway, I’m not coming along to save Scott,” Ariana said, stopping as Stiles raised an eyebrow back at her. “Shut up, what I mean is I’m coming for Kate. I’ve got some questions for her.”

 

“What kind of questions?” Stiles asked, suspicion suddenly growing as he looked at her. Liam also looked a little confused by this, and he stepped away from Ariana with a frown.

 

Ariana ran a hand through her hair with a sigh, already hating herself for speaking up instead of just pretending to go along with everyone else’s motivations. “Look, when I spoke to Kate at the hospital, she told me I wasn’t the only one with sudden abilities. She knows something about me and Genevieve. I need to know what she knows,” she finished, hugging her arms to herself tightly as she watched Stiles’s face.

 

“You never told me that,” Liam said softly from beside Ariana, causing her to pull her gaze back to him. “Why didn’t you mention that before?”

 

Ariana shrugged, feeling her walls already sliding up as she huddled into herself, ignoring the suspicious eyes of Stiles and Malia right now. “I don’t know. I was scared. And there was already so much going on so I didn’t really have a chance to,” she explained lamely, picking a point on the floor to stare at as she spoke. “But I need to know why this all happened to me. And Kate has the answers.”

 

“So you’re not actually coming to help us,” Malia spoke up, tilting her head a fraction. There was no malice in her tone, just curiosity as she tried to understand Ariana’s motive.

 

Ariana sighed, scrunching her face a little. “No, obviously I want to help everyone too,” she said reluctantly. She couldn’t pretend she still hated Scott as much as she used to, especially not after he’d helped put an end to the Deadpool. And he had trusted her even though she’d given him almost no reason to, beyond Liam’s insistence. A small part of Ariana was surprised at herself for the lack of hate towards Scott, but she knew it was true.

 

“Ariana already has helped us several times. She can help again,” Liam said, determination in his eyes as he stepped back closer to Ariana, taking her hand in his. “We can both help. If you’re that worried about me and the moon, we can figure something out. There's gotta be bigger chains, a bigger trunk or something. There has to be,” he pleaded with Stiles.

 

Stiles hesitated, thinking. “Maybe there is,” he said after a moment as his eyes lit up a little, his brain already churning away with an idea. The four of them all gazed around at each other and Ariana felt Liam’s hand squeezing her own as she clutched it back tightly, ready for whatever they were going to face.

 

Before they could move, there was a sharp sound from outside, like someone snapping a twig under their foot.

 

The sound rang out and was immediately followed by silence as the four teenagers froze in place, eyes all widening in sync. Ariana held her breath, her eyes darting to the back door as she waited for whoever was there to reveal themselves. Part of her hoped it was Scott or Kira returning safely and confirming that the worst really was over. But in the back of her mind she also knew that finding Scott was her best chance at getting proper answers from Kate.

 

As they waited, Ariana glanced up at Stiles who was now slowly edging towards the door with a frown. She had no idea why the only human in the room thought it was a good idea to volunteer to investigate but then again she didn’t really care what happened to Stiles anyway.

 

It didn’t matter though because a beat later, a shadow fell across the curtain of the back door, smaller than Ariana had expected, followed by a soft knock.

 

“Come in?” Stiles called out after a moment, his hands stretched out slightly to defend himself from whoever was about to enter. They all watched as the handle twisted, letting the door slowly swing open with a gentle creak. 

 

“Um…Hi.”

 

Whatever Ariana had expected, it definitely wasn’t Genevieve but there she was, standing in the doorway with a mixture of determination and doubt fighting in her eyes.

 

“Genevieve?” Ariana frowned, folding her arms across her chest defensively. Genevieve glanced over at her, her small fists clenching and unclenching briefly. They locked eyes as everyone else stared back and forth between them, all equally confused.

 

Finally Genevieve spoke again, hands reaching up to twist themselves in the ends of her ponytail. “I want to help. I heard you talking at the lacrosse game last night. I know Kira and Scott are missing and you’re going to find them. I want to come with you,” she said, bobbing her head slightly as she spoke.

 

Stiles let out a huff of frustration as he moved across to the door, holding the edge in one hand as one hand ran over his face. “We really don’t need two new werewolves. We barely need Liam.”

 

Liam opened his mouth to protest, but was quickly cut off by Genevieve who was still standing by the door but had stepped closer into the room now, refusing to be sent out by Stiles.“Kira saved my life. I’m coming with you,” she said firmly.

 

Ariana’s brow furrowed as she glanced across at Genevieve, and the two girls locked eyes momentarily, eyebrows crinkling in unison as they held each other’s gaze. For a brief moment it was almost like they were back to being two kids at the Darcy foster home, pretending they could read each other’s minds. A lot had happened since then, but Ariana could still read Genevieve’s expression, the way her lips formed into a small pout, a sign that she wouldn’t be changing her mind any time soon.

 

There wasn’t time for a proper discussion between the girls, though. Maybe after Mexico there would be time to talk properly. Maybe later there would be a chance for Ariana to explain herself once and for all. Still, that was an issue for later. Right now, they had bigger things to worry about.

 

Stiles sighed as he clapped his hands together, gathering everyone’s attention as he looked around at the small group. “Alright, I guess we’re going on a road trip,” he declared. “But if we’re dealing with two new betas, we’re going to need a bigger car.”

 


	21. Power

“Are we really bringing them?” Derek’s gruff voice, full of skepticism, carried through the warehouse the pack had agreed to meet at. He nodded his head towards where Genevieve, Ariana and Liam were hovering behind Stiles. He’d pulled a face as soon as he’d climbed out of his car, arms folded across his chest as his gaze moved across the group.

 

Ariana furrowed her brow slightly, glancing over towards Braeden who had just pulled the prison transport van she’d somehow acquired into park and was now leaning against it with a vaguely impatient expression. Braeden locked eyes with Ariana for a moment, shaking her head as if to dismiss Derek’s attitude.

 

“Are we really bringing him?” Stiles quipped right back at Derek as he nodded his head towards Peter who was hovering just behind Derek.

 

“Peter can help us. He knows about Berserkers,” Derek said firmly. “You’ve got two new wolves and an unstable druid.” His words were sharp and blunt as he came to a halt, standing across from the others with a vaguely irritated expression.

 

“I’m not staying behind,” Ariana spoke up, folding her arms across her chest tightly as she stared cooly up at Derek. “Don’t forget I was an assassin before I was a druid. You might need me more than you realise.” She cocked her head to the side, silently daring him to challenge her.

 

Derek glanced over at Braeden almost as if seeking some support in his doubt, but Braeden was watching Ariana with a mildly impressed expression. Clearly realising that Ariana wasn’t going anywhere, Derek let out a reluctant sigh, pulling his gaze to where Genevieve was hovering just behind Ariana, hands clasped carefully in front of her body anxiously.

 

“Does Satomi even know you’re here, Genevieve?” Derek asked, raising one eyebrow as he stared down at her with his arms folded across his chest.

 

Genevieve hesitated, biting her lip as she recalled the conversation she’d had with Brett earlier. “She knows,” she said simply, choosing not to add the fact that both Satomi and Brett had strongly recommended that she stay in Beacon Hills with them until the full moon had passed. She hated the idea of disappointing Satomi, someone she already looked up to, but she knew she was making the right decision.

 

Even more than that, she didn’t like leaving Brett with the look of disappoint lingering in his eyes. Brett had warned her to be careful but there had something else, something at the tip of his tongue that he’d held back. Whatever it was, she just hoped he’d follow through when she returned. For now, she needed to focus on staying calm. Not exactly an easy task when she was only feet from Ariana right now, but she had to push aside the bad blood between them until Kira was safe.

 

“We’ll need everyone that we can get,” Peter interrupted the conversation smoothly as he stepped forward. “And considering Scott and Kira were taken the night before a full moon, we should probably get going.”

 

“What does that mean?” Malia asked, folding her arms across her chest as she jutted her chin forward suspiciously.

 

“If Kate took Scott back to the same temple that she took Derek, how do we know she's not planning to do the same thing to him?” Peter elaborated.

 

“What, she wants to make him younger?” Liam asked in confusion. Ariana turned to him, raising a curious eyebrow but he quickly shook his head to deflect her questions. Ariana definitely hadn’t realised that was even a possibility but then again her version of reality was getting more warped very day so she couldn’t say she was surprised. Still, it definitely showed how dangerous Kate really could be.

 

“Or take him back to when he wasn't a werewolf.” Derek added, the dark frown deepening on his forehead.

 

“A werewolf can't steal a true Alpha's power. But maybe a Nagual jaguar, with the power of Tezcatlipoca behind her... Maybe she can. So, if everyone is sufficiently freaked out, I say we get going. La Iglesia is not exactly a short trip away.” Peter finished with a small flourish, indicating towards the cars behind them all.

 

Ariana watched him, eyes narrowed as she tried to follow along with whatever he was talking about. She knew Kate was dangerous, but there was the growing fear inside that she may have suddenly thrown herself over her head.

 

Stiles let out a sigh as he shook his head. “We can't. Not without Lydia.”

 

Derek frowned. “What's she doing at the school anyway?” he asked, his eyes gazing around the group as he seemed to notice Lydia’s absence.

 

“We got Kira's sword, but we need something with a stronger scent. Lydia went to get a jacket out of her locker,” Stiles explained as he pulled his phone out to call Lydia. He’d already called her several times on the way to the warehouse with no answer so Ariana doubted anything had changed, and sure enough after a moment Stiles let out a huff as he dropped his phone back into his pocket.

 

“If she has a car, she can catch up to us.” Braeden said firmly as she moved to pull the back seat door to the van open, a subtle indication that they all needed to get moving.

 

“That's a good point. We'll call her from the road.” Peter agreed.

 

Stiles shook his head, folding his arms as he stood his ground. “Nope. What if she's in trouble?”

 

“Fine. You stay, you find her. We're gonna go on without you.” Peter said with an air of irritation, turning towards Derek’s car. Ariana glanced at Liam, one eyebrow raised in question. It felt like there was a lot of tension in the room right now, even more so than the awkwardness still lingering between herself and Genevieve. But Liam seemed less concerned with any of that, his own brow furrowed slightly as he stared at a point on the ground, clearly distracted.

 

Ariana watched him for a moment, wondering whether she needed to be worried for him too. Still, there was no way Liam would let himself get left behind. That was one of the reasons Ariana liked him so much, his determination to help others was unrelenting even when he was terrified. Ariana finally pulled her gaze away from him, her mind whirling as she watched everyone around her arguing about Lydia. Then suddenly it clicked.

 

“Hang on, I’ll call Mason,” Ariana said suddenly, reaching awkwardly over her back and digging her phone out of her backpack. “He’s got a study group at school. Maybe he can find her.”

 

“All right. Fine!” Stiles declared reluctantly, tipping his head back in frustration. “Fine, let’s go then.”

 

Peter stepped forward as everyone prepared to leave, his movement automatically getting Ariana’s attention. “Remember what we're dealing with. It's not just Kate, it's Berserkers. You might see human eyes behind those skulls. Do not assume that there's any humanity left.”

 

Ariana narrowed her eyes a little as Liam shuffled half a step back beside her, clearly uncomfortable with the reminder of the Berserkers. Reaching a hand back, Ariana felt Liam slide his hand into hers and she squeezed it, the edges of her lips quirking up slightly as she heard him inhaling and exhaling slowly. 

 

Unfortunately Peter seemed to notice Liam’s fear and he tilted his head slightly as he sized Liam up. “Oh. This little one is terrified of them, aren't you? Don't worry, my friend. It is that fear that will keep you alive. A reminder to everyone. You do not fight Berserkers to survive, you fight to kill.”

 

Genevieve took a quiet but sharp inhale of breath from the other side of Ariana, hugging her arms to her chest tightly but her eyes stayed calm and ready as she nodded quickly before anyone could question her confidence.

 

“I need to call Mason,” Ariana said finally, pulling her hand from Liam’s and moving away from the group as she scrolled through her contacts until she found Mason’s name and dialled.

 

“Hey Ari, what’s up?” Mason’s voice was light and cheery, and Ariana couldn’t help the sense of relief in her chest at the lack of hostility in his tone. It was good to be back on speaking terms with him and she’d forgotten how much she’d missed their friendship.

 

“Hey, um are you at school right now?” Ariana closed her eyes briefly, blocking out the sight of all of the were-creatures currently standing several feet away from her as she focused on keeping her tone calm and casual.

 

“Yeah, I just pulled up. Why?” Mason asked.

 

Ariana clenched her fist “I’m just trying to get a hold of Lydia Martin. I’m um…I’m just going through some of the notes she lent me for AP Bio and I have some questions but she’s not answering her phone.”

 

Mason was quiet for a moment and Ariana bit her lip impatiently as she waited for him to look. Finally Mason let out a low hum. “Yeah, her car's here,” he said after another moment, probably double checking the car to make sure it was hers. “You want me to look around the school and see if I can find her?” he asked.

 

Ariana smiled, glancing up to give Stiles a thumbs up as he watched her anxiously. He threw his hands back up with a mild look of relief before turning back to talk to Malia, letting Ariana pull her focus back to Mason over the phone. “Yeah, thanks. And just call me when you find her. Or tell her to call me.”

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mason was hesitant, a hint of suspicion seeping into his tone. He had a terrible poker face and an even worse poker voice.

 

“I’m fine.” Another lie falling too easily from her lips.

 

“Ari…” Mason paused, trailing off a little and Ariana felt herself tensing up slightly. “Ari, I’m not an idiot. I know something’s up. Can you just tell me what’s going on? Please?”

 

Ariana hesitated, twisting her mouth in frustration as she stared up at the ceiling. She hated being back at the same place, lying to Mason again. She’d spent the last year lying through her teeth and the knowledge that she was protecting him didn’t make her feel any less guilty. Mason was smart. And he was good. He deserved honesty. She couldn’t tell him everything of course, but she hated leaving him in the dark.

 

Collecting her thoughts, Ariaana inhaled slowly, nodding to herself. “I will later. I promise. Just find Lydia for me. I’ve gotta go,” she said, barely letting Mason agree before she hung up the phone.

 

“Okay, Mason will call us if he finds Lydia,” Ariana announced to everyone else as she tucked her phone away again.

 

Peter clapped his hands together with a smirk. “Great! Any more excuses now or can we get moving?”

 

Braeden rolled her eyes as she thumped one hand on the van beside her. “Come on Ari, you’re in the front with me. Wolves in the back,” she declared, not waiting for anyone to respond as she moved to climb into the driver’s seat.

 

——————————————————————————

 

Genevieve leaned back tightly in her seat as the car rumbled along, jolting slightly over the bumps in the road as Braeden drove. Ariana was sitting in the front passenger seat although Genevieve could barely see her head over the seat. The only sign of her presence was her ponytail bobbing into Genevieve’s line of vision every now and then.

 

Beside Genevieve, Liam sat tensely while Derek leaned forward to tighten the handcuffs around his wrists. Genevieve’s cuffs were locked tightly around her small wrists already, definitely secure thanks to Stiles redoing them four times to be satisfied.

 

"All good?" Derek was stern as he watched Liam. There wasn’t really any room for chaos in the small back section of the van.

 

Liam was nodding hurriedly beside Genevieve as he tugged on the cuffs. “Yep.”

 

“Gen? How are you going?” Derek turned to Genevieve, his tone softening slightly.

 

Genevieve offered a small smile and nod as she tugged against her handcuffs to demonstrate her inability to move. “I’m good,” she said softly. Derek nodded back, his eyes gazing over her frame for any sign of problem. Genevieve watched him as she took a slow inhale, and after a moment he nodded again and pulled his gaze back to where Liam’s knee was bouncing up and down anxiously.

 

“Okay. I brought something to help.” Derek pulled a small object out of his pocket, holding it out to Liam with a vague air of importance. "This is a triskelion. It has been with my family for centuries," he said. Genevieve eyed it from her side of the car, but didn’t pay too much attention to it, instead closing her eyes and focusing on everything Satomi had told her before she’d left. She barely heard a word of Derek’s instructions for Liam, instead focusing on three things. She let the words wash through her mind, one at a time. The _sun_. The _moon_. The _truth_.

 

Beside her, Liam continued to struggle as he followed Derek’s advice. “Alpha, Beta... Omega,” he managed to choke out as his eyes flashed yellow. He tugged against his cuffs viciously, his claws scraping against the metal, clearly on the brink of losing all sense of control.

 

“Say it again.” Derek said, his voice coming out in a low growl as he watched Liam closely.

 

“Derek, I don't think the powerful talisman of self-control is working.” Stiles said, his voice a little too raised to seem calm and he jumped slightly as Liam let out a roar at him.

 

“Derek?” Braeden asked loudly from over her shoulder as she drove. “We good?”

 

“I think we're gonna need to go a little faster,” Stiles called back loudly, twisting his body around to the front of the car. “Like a lot faster!”

 

“Liam? Liam are you okay?” Ariana called out from the front seat, her eyes wide with panic and frustration as she clung to the separator that was currently keeping her apart from Liam, forcing her watch him struggle.

 

“Derek, I don't think Alpha, Beta, Omega is resonating with him,” Stiles yelled frantically as he pressed himself against the side of the car, keeping his distance from Liam as much as he could as he watched the young beta slowly spiralling out of control. Liam let out a roar as his handcuffs snapped off, freeing him to lunge towards Derek.

 

“You know any other mantras?” Derek snapped back, a growl slipping out of his throat as he struggled against Liam.

 

Genevieve took another slow inhale. Her breath was steady, a miracle right now, but her stillness within the chaos caught Stiles’s attention. He shuffled an inch forward, learning closer to her with a frown.

 

“Gen, how are you so calm?” Stiles wasn’t accusing, clearly more curious than suspicious. “Isn’t this your first full moon?”

 

Genevieve nodded slowly, avoiding any sudden movements despite the fact that Liam was currently trying to attack Derek inches away from her. “Satomi’s mantra,” she said simply. She knew it was probably more than that though. She was the daughter of two alphas, whoever and wherever they were now. Satomi hadn’t needed to spell it out for her. It was very likely that Genevieve’s control had come from the wolf DNA that had been in her since birth. Still, whatever it was, she was calm and that was all that mattered.

 

Stiles stared back, his eyebrows crinkling. “Okay, what’s the mantra?” he asked finally, nodding a little to encourage Genevieve.

 

“What three things cannot long be hidden?” Genevieve asked aloud, her voice slow and surprisingly steady as she kept her eyes trained on one tiny spot above Stiles’s head.“The sun. The moon. The truth.” She inhaled again, nodding to herself as she repeated the mantra in her mind.

 

“The sun…” Liam growled even as he pushed against Derek’s firm grip. “The moon…The truth.”

 

“Again. The Sun…” Genevieve began again, her breath steady even as she glanced over at Liam. She could see Ariana staring at them from the front seat, her eyes full of concern for Liam.

 

“Sun…” Liam repeated, his grip loosening slightly as his eyes flashed between gold and blue.

 

“The moon…” Genevieve continued.

 

“The moon.” Liam repeated again through his growl.

 

“The truth.” They finished the mantra together, Liam’s wolf growl slipping out only briefly. Genevieve nodded at Liam, the hint of a smile tilting upwards on her lips as they locked eyes for a moment.

 

“That's it. Say it again,” Derek said, his arms still restraining Liam although Liam was barely resisting any longer.

 

“Sun, the moon... The truth.” Liam slumped against the back of the van with a sigh as Genevieve sunk back into the corner of the van again, tugging her knees up to her chest with her own little sigh of relief. 

 

“Derek?” Braeden called out from the front, tilting her head back briefly to raise an eyebrow.

 

Derek waited a moment, eyeing Liam and Genevieve before he nodded his head slowly, folding his arms across his chest. “We're okay,” he called back.

 

“Thanks. For a minute there, I thought I was gonna tear you all apart,” Liam said quietly to Genevieve, ducking his head to glance at her with half a smile.

 

“Yeah. That would've made for an awkward ride home,” Stiles quipped loudly. “Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at Liam. Liam nodded, flicking his claws out briefly before letting them retract as he inhaled slowly.

 

“All right. We might actually be able to do this,” Stiles declared, bobbing his head with a relived smile, throwing Genevieve a wink as he settled back into his seat.

 

Ariana locked eyes with Liam through the bars separating the front seat from the wolves in the backseat, smiling slightly as he nodded his head back to assure her he was okay. She hated being separated from him in the van, forced to watch him struggle alone, but at the same time, hearing Liam’s roar had given her an uncomfortable flashback to the first time she’d seen him in his wolf form, claws swiping across her face as he raged against her. The memory made Ariana squirm a little, even though she knew that Liam had valid reasons for lashing out at her. Even more so she hated remembering her own harsh words towards him. She’d called him a monster but she knew he was far from that.

 

“Hey, you okay?” Braeden asked Ariana quietly, not that it mattered when there were three werewolves with exceptional hearing sitting right behind them.

 

Ariana nodded quickly, sinking a little in her seat as the car rumbled forwards. “Fine,” she said softly. “Just really hoping we get there soon,” she added as she drew her knees up to her chest, glancing through the review mirror at Liam with a sigh.

 

——————————————————————————

 

There was a calm silence for a while as Braeden steered the car around the windy roads of Mexico. Liam seemed to have control for now. Derek was watching Liam closely anyway, while Stiles gazed out of the window, probably thinking about the fate of his best friend. Braeden and Ariana were murmuring quietly in the front seat, but Genevieve couldn’t make out what they were saying. She was too busy slowly realising that the mantra was losing its effect on her, calmness replaced by a tightening in her chest.

 

Genevieve clenched her fists tightly, vaguely aware of the warm blood trickling down her wrists as her claws dug in deep but she was too overwhelmed to acknowledge the pain. In fact, she felt nothing. Nothing at all. It was like her hands had suddenly detached themselves from her body entirely. The realisation washed over her, a tidal wave sweeping any other thoughts out of her brain as the panic began to sink in instead.

 

“Uh, Genevieve? You alright?" Stiles asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow as he looked pointedly at her hands.

 

Genevieve tried to take a breath in but shook her head instead as her chest clenched up. “Can’t breathe. Can’t feel- My hands- I can’t feel them-” she managed to choke out, her fists clenching even tighter as she curled up on the seat, her breaths coming out in short desperate bursts. “I can’t feel my hands!”

 

“Uh…Derek what's going on? Is this some of full moon reaction that Scott somehow missed…”Stiles frowned at Genevieve, awareness slowly dawning on him. "She's having a-“

 

“-Panic attack," Arianas voice cut through from the front seat as she spun around, eyes watching Genevieve closely. "She used to have them all the time,” she explained quickly, keeping her voice calm as she ran her eyes over Genevieve, assessing her.

 

By now Genevieve's breaths were getting further apart as she struggled to inhale,her eyes still glued to the claws poking out at the end of her fingers. The blood was trickling down slowly, almost taunting her as she stared at her hands, unable to connect them to her own body in her mind.

 

“I need to get back there,” Ariana said suddenly, tapping her fingers frantically on the frame separator in the middle of the car. “Braeden? Braeden, stop the car!”

 

Braeden let out a huff of minor inconvenience as she swerved the car to the side of the road, slamming on the brakes as she did so. “Go! I can’t stop for long,” she said curtly, nodding to the passenger door. Ariana didn’t hesitate, barely tugging her seatbelt off in time as she tumbled out of the car.

 

Derek was quick to react, flinging the back door open to let Ariana in. Before Ariana had even got both feet in, Braeden was already pulling the car back into gear, letting the car roar away again. She hadn’t been kidding.

 

As soon as Ariana swung the car door shut, she threw herself in between Liam and Genevieve, turning to face Genevieve. She took in the werewolf’s curled up position as her brain tracked back the last time she’d seen Genevieve in this state. “Okay Gen, you gotta focus okay? Just focus on what I say,” Ariana said, struggling to keep her voice calm as Stiles spluttered in confusion across from her.

 

Genevieve took in a gulp of air, shaking her head pitifully as she stared at her hands, eyes taking in the claws and blood, all so unfamiliar and unlike herself. “I can’t feel them,” she burst out again, eyes welling with tears ready to fall. “I can’t- I can’t-”

 

Ariana shook her head right back at the small redhead, her own dark hair falling into her eyes as she reached out and gripped Genevieve’s hands in her own. “Hey, Genny you know the drill. You ready?” She didn’t wait for an answer, moving her hands up to cup Genevieve’s cheeks. “Can you feel my hands? Can you feel them on your face?”

 

Genevieve hesitated before finally nodding. “Yes,” she choked out in between gasps of breath.

 

“Great! You can feel your face!” Ariana moved her hands down to Genevieve’s shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze. “Can you feel your shoulders? My hands there?”

 

Another nod.

 

“Cool, cool. You’re doing great.” Ariana moved her hands down to Genevieve’s elbows. “Can you feel your elbows?”

 

Genevieve’s breaths were slightly less shallow now, and she licked her lips before nodding again. “Yes,” she muttered out, letting her eyes drift shut and clenching them tight as she honed her focus in on Ariana’s voice.

 

“Okay great,” Ariana continued as she brushed her hands down Genevieve’s arm until she reached her small wrists. “Now where are my hands?”

 

Genevieve took another shaky breath in, red hair falling in tips in front of her face as she rocked forwards slightly. “My wrists,” she pushed out.

 

“Amazing. Keep breathing. Focus on me,” Ariana kept talking, her voice calm as she gave Genevieve’s wrists a light squeeze before moving her hands down to clutch Genevieve’s hands, holding them tightly. “Now what can you feel?”

 

Genevieve inhaled before letting out a slow exhale as she squeezed Ariana’s hands back. “Hands,” she said softly as she opened her eyes, letting her gaze drift down to where their hands were clasped tightly together, no werewolf claws in sight.

 

There was a pause as the two girls stared back at each other, eyes searching as the memories flooded back between them. The weight of everything between them sat heavy in the air as everyone else watched them.

 

Then, just as suddenly as the moment had begun, Genevieve tugged her hands away, folding them into her lap as she stared back down at the floor of the van. “I’m fine now,” she said softly, trying not to notice the way Ariana’s breath had huffed out at her sharp movement.

 

——————————————————————————

 

By the time Braeden yanked the van into park just outside La Iglesia, it was already getting dark outside. Ariana squinted slightly as she reluctantly followed Liam out of the van, letting her eyes adjust to the dim and dusty surroundings of the church. Before they could fully adjust their vision though, a berserker lunged out from the darkness, taking a vicious swipe at Derek and throwing him a few feet from them.

 

Ariana watched in horror as Derek was thrown backwards only for the berserker to follow him, its sharply speared hands piercing deep into his torso. The image gave her a vivid and crushing flashback to Garrett’s violet death, but there was no time to let her brain slip into grief as Liam bared his claws out beside her.

 

“Just go! Find Scott!” Derek yelled as Braeden pulled her shotgun out, firing rapidly at the berserker as it ran back towards the church.

 

Liam looked at Derek for a moment before nodding as he went to follow the berserker, determination in his eyes. He reached out for Ariana, ready to tug her along behind him but she faltered, pulling against his grip until he let go of her hand with a frown.

 

“Come on, we need to find Scott and Kira,” Liam said urgently, turning to face Ariana. Genevieve lingered between the church and Ariana uncertainly.

 

Ariana shook her head firmly, her eyes scanning the open area for any sign of Kate. Her eyes narrowed as she caught a flash of blonde hair moving towards the dark tunnels in the distance. “You guys go. I need to get to Kate first.”

 

“Ari-” Genevieve reached out for Ariana, a pleading look flashing through her eyes.

 

“I need to do this,” Ariana said as she took a step towards the tunnels. “You all go find Scott and Kira. I’ll catch up,” she insisted, taking another step away as she looked back at Genevieve and Liam with a nod.

 

“Guys, come on!” Stiles let out a yell from a few feet away, his arms stretched out impatiently as he glared at the small group. “Friends to save? The reason we’re all here? Ring a bell?” he yelled out, wincing slightly at the sound of Braeden’s gun firing viciously in the near distance.

 

Liam’s brow wrinkled slightly, his blue eyes imploring Ariana to follow but she shook her head slightly. Finally he dropped his head for a moment, letting out a reluctant huff. “I get it,” he said, moving closer to her. “Just be careful,” he added as he grabbed her hand, tugging Ariana close so he could press a kiss to her lips.

 

Ariana let her eyes drift shut momentarily, taking in the brief moment as she let the kiss linger, one hand brushing against Liam’s cheek before she pulled away. “Go!” she insisted, stepping away. Genevieve was still hovering awkwardly between Stiles and Ariana, and for a moment the two girls locked eyes, several years of unsaid words lingering in the air between them. But there was no time to say anything else as the berserker let out a terrifying roar from the church, the ground shuddering slightly from the vibrations.

 

Biting her lip, Ariana watched Liam and Genevieve sprint towards the church where Stiles and Malia were waiting anxiously with Peter. She watched as they disappeared into the darkness of the building, before finally turning back to the tunnels across the dirt, ready to face Kate once and for all.

 

——————————————————————————

 

“I think Kira is this way,” Genevieve said, her nose lifting slightly into the air to inhale deeply while Stiles trailed impatiently behind her. He hadn’t seemed thrilled to be stuck with the new werewolf as they searched for their friends, and Genevieve didn’t exactly feel at ease around the boy she barely knew, but they had a common goal and that was all that mattered for now.

 

She could smell the dust and mould lingering in the tunnels, but there was something else. Something vaguely familiar, something that reminded Genevieve of safety and comfort. Stiles waited a moment, narrowing his eyes as he stared down the tunnel. Finally he moved forwards, his fists clenching and unclenching anxiously.

 

“Scott? Kira?” Stiles shouted as he moved ahead of Genevieve, one hand held out behind him, presumably to protect her even though she was the supernatural creature, as the other hand held up Kira’s sword.

 

“Kira, can you hear us?” Genevieve called out, wincing as her senses overloaded briefly as they rounded the corner. She inhaled slowly, focusing on the scents surrounding her. “Hang on…She’s close…” Genevieve trailed off as she tilted her head upwards again, trying to latch onto the faint scent of Kira lingering in the air. “Kira?” she called out again, closing her eyes as she allowed her wolf senses to perk up, her ears twitching slightly.

 

“Genevieve?”

 

Following the sound, Genevieve rounded the corner and her eyes lit up with relief as she spotted Kira’s thin frame on her knees leaning against a set of bars, trapped inside the darkened cell.

 

“Kira! We found you,” Genevieve breathed as she dropped to her knees to be level with Kira.“Stiles, she’s here!” She hadn’t realised how much she’d needed to see Kira alive until she was facing her, her own heart pounding with relief at the sight of the older girl.

 

Stiles came to a skidding halt a few steps behind Genevieve, Kira’s sword waving around in his hand a little too wildly, his eyes wide with relief. “Kira! Are you okay?” he asked as he examined the bars currently keeping Kira captive. “Gen, can you break these?”

 

“I can try,” Genevieve said quickly, standing up again and inhaling slowly. Her eyes glowed a bright yellow for a moment as she yanked one bar sideways, letting it bend awkwardly until there was enough room for Kira to climb out.

 

“It's Scott. Stiles, it's Scott,” Kira said as she twisted her body to slip through the bars now, stumbling slightly as she got her balance again. “The Berserker. It's him. Kate did it. She made him one of them,” Kira rambled frantically.

 

“What are you talking about?” Genevieve asked, frowning as she tried to understand Kira. The older girl seemed desperate, her eyes wide and panicked as she stared between Stiles and Genevieve.

 

“She made him into one of them. A berserker. I don't know how, but it's him.” Kira turned away from Genevieve, giving an urgent look to Stiles, but she kept one hand resting on Genevieve’s arm for support.

 

Stiles’s eyes widened with realisation as he spoke, “That's why Lydia's not here. They won't know they're killing Scott.”

 

——————————————————————————

 

Ariana felt her breath quickening as she dodged past berserkers and hunters who had seemingly arrived out of nowhere, ducking behind vehicles until she arrived at an opening to the string of tunnels she’d seen Kate’s blonde hair disappear down. Without waiting to collect her thoughts, without waiting for any doubt to slip into her mind, she powered on, determination driving her forwards and deeper into the darkness. Finally she came to a halt as she spotted Kate up ahead, her eyes darkening as the frustration inside her flared up again at the sight of the older woman.

 

“KATE!” She called out, watching in satisfaction as Kate slowly turned to face her. Her hair was slightly matted with dust and sand and she looked a little worse for wear, but the smug expression sat on her face as usual.

 

“Well hello, fancy running into you here,” Kate replied, her voice light with an air of amusement.

 

With a small intake of breath to steady herself, Ariana walked closer to Kate. “Stop with the small talk. You need to give me some answers. Now.”

 

“Oh Ariana. Poor Little Orphan Ari. I can’t believe you still haven’t worked it out.” Kate said, leaning against the wall of the tunnel with a raised eyebrow.

 

Ariana stayed where she was, eyes hardened on Kate. “Just tell me what you know about me. Unless you want to be buried alive in here.”

 

Kate raised an eyebrow, momentarily impressed. The threat seemed to amuse her more than anything, but she cocked her head as she watched Ariana. “You must know. You just don’t want to hear it said aloud. We both know who really triggered your abilities.”

 

“Violet.” Ariana said her friend’s name quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor momentarily as her heart thudded in her chest a little harder. “You said…You said that you left her for me. A blood sacrifice to unlock whatever happened to me. You said it was my task. But who told you that? Who was behind all of this?”

 

“Oh honey, don’t look at me,” Kate said, holding her hands up in mock defence. “I was just in this to get my revenge on Scott. It shouldn’t be hard to trace back though. Who do you think brought Violet to the Nemeton, the place the last druid of Beacon Hills died, to ensure your little bloody sacrifice worked? Someone who knew exactly what you could be?”

 

Ariana paused, fists clenching as the desperation rose up in her throat. “Stop stalling. Just tell me who,” she pleaded, all sense of dignity washed away.

 

Kate was barely paying affected by Ariana’s tone, folding her arms casually across her chest. “All I know is that an old friend reached out to me with grand plans to cause some chaos. I just had to bring my Berserkers along, go after you and your friends and make sure you finished the job.”

 

“Why? Who was it? Who are you working for?” Ariana asked again, stepping closer to Kate, her eyes wide with open desperation.

 

Kate let a small smirk slip onto her lips as she looked down at Ariana, one eyebrow raised slightly. “Someone who is very interested in you and your power. Who has been for a long time. Ever since your parents were drained of blood, all those years ago.”

 

The mention of Ariana’s parents made her heart thud a little harder, freezing her brain momentarily. “You’re working with the person who killed my parents?” She almost stumbled over the words as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing. “Who?”

 

“Think, Ariana. Surely it isn’t that hard to make the connection.” Kate pursed her lips, waiting for Ariana to figure it out.

 

Before Ariana could open her mouth to spit out another impatient retort, a loud roar echoed through the air like a war cry, bouncing off the stone walls of the cave and distorting itself until it faded away, leaving Kate and Ariana in silence again.

 

“Sounds like Scott and your friends might need some help,” Kate said with a raised eyebrow. “What’ll it be, Ariana? Are you going to stand here demanding answers you should already know, or are you going to help your little wolf friends?”

 

Ariana stared at Kate, unmoving as her mind whirled away silently. This was her chance, her one moment to push for answers she’d spent so long craving. But something else itched in the back of her mind. Worry for her friends. For Liam. For Genevieve. Even for Scott. As much as Ariana had told everyone she only came along to Mexico for Kate, she knew deep down that part of her wanted to come to help Scott. Her anger towards him had faded before she was even fully aware, and she knew now that he wasn’t the one to blame. Scott had only done his best to help her. Now she needed to help him.

 

Throwing Kate a wrathful glare, Ariana turned on her heels, sprinting away from Kate and the answers she’d been so close to grasping, instead running towards Scott and the pack.

 

——————————————————————————

 

It wasn’t hard to find the rest of the group with the echo of Scott’s roar still echoing faintly through the walls. A moment of stumbling through the darkened corridors finally led Ariana to where Scott and Peter were currently in the middle of a standoff.

 

"You," Scott said, his voice low with unfamiliar fury as he stared right at Peter. "The only one that knew as much as Argent about berserkers. About the Nagual. You taught Kate. You helped her. All for power."

 

Peter was standing across the other side of the dusty room, his eyes focused on Scott as his face began to distort, fangs sharpening in his mouth as he began to transform. "For my family's power. To be rightfully inherited by me,” he spat out. “Not usurped by some idiot teenage boy, so incorruptible he wouldn't shed the blood of his enemies even when justified.”

 

Ariana stood behind Scott, slightly hidden in the doorway as she locked her focus onto Peter, cogs suddenly turning in her brain as she silently replayed Kate’s words. An old friend had brought Kate into town. Someone who knew about Berserkers. Someone who had something to gain. Someone who knew about Ariana. About what she would be. Ariana had grown up believing her parents had been killed by werewolves. Or maybe just one. Maybe just one werewolf, hungry for power.

 

Suddenly everything seemed to be clicking into place as Ariana’s stomach dropped. 

 

“You want to defeat me? You're going to have to kill me!” Peter roared at Scott as everyone else edged away slightly, all on edge and ready for war.

 

“No, he won’t.” Ariana spoke up as she stepped forward, directly into Peter’s line of vision. She vaguely noticed the movements of everyone else in the dark dusty room, their heads all turning in sync at the sound of her voice. But she didn’t pay the pack any attention, keeping them in her peripheral vision. Instead, her eyes remained cold and hard on Peter.

 

Peter seemed unsurprised to see Ariana standing there, his lip curling a little as he straightened up.

 

“You were behind this all along,” Ariana said slowly as she edged forward, doing her best to keep her rage contained. “You killed Jennifer Blake on the Nemeton. The same place Violet was taken. You _knew_. All along. You made this all happen. Why?”

 

“What are you talking about?” Stiles asked from behind Ariana, confusion and irritation at being in the dark seeping into his voice. Ariana shook her head though, holding a hand back to keep him away as she explained. 

 

“Kate said an old friend brought her into Beacon Hills. It was Peter. He recruited me and Violet and Garrett. He told Kate to- to kill them. He moved Violet’s body to the Nemeton. He knew how to trigger what happened to me. He was behind it all. This whole time.”

 

“You’re giving me a lot of credit there, Ariana,” Peter said calmly, although he didn’t defend himself against any of her accusations.

 

Scott hovered between Peter and Ariana, his hands held out slightly in front of him to try and deflect Ariana’s white rage. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice a little rough as he spoke, raw from his own roar only moments beforehand.

 

“You…you ruined our lives. You ruined _my_ life,” Ariana spat out at Peter, ignoring Scott. “You created the deadpool, you lied and then pretended you knew nothing about it. You dragged my friends into your mess. You’re the reason everyone I love is dead. My parents were drained of blood by someone who wanted power. It was you.” She raised one hand up, pointing directly at him as she inhaled, a little shudder slipping through her body as Violet’s death flashed back into her mind again.

 

Peter gazed back at Ariana, studying her calmly, taking in the way her hand trembled slightly, with rage or with the hint of an earthquake no one could be sure.“Are you going to kill me, Ariana?” he asked slyly, his voice lilting as he tilted his head a little to watch her.

 

“I could.” Ariana’s hand trembled as she held it outstretched towards Peter, fingers splayed out now at the ready, the other fist clenched tightly by her side. The energy inside her was threatening to spill out of control any minute as she held his gaze, dark eyes glaring down at his cold blue ones.

 

“I have no doubt. You’ve killed plenty of people before.” Peter’s words were slow and carefully crafted as he watched her, eyes fixated on her hands specifically. Taking in the way her fingers twitched ever so slightly at his words.

 

“That was with poison though. She hasn’t killed people directly,” Liam quickly defended Ariana, hovering a few steps behind her. “She’s not a cold blooded killer. Not like you. Ariana, you’re better than that,” Liam turned to Ariana, almost pleading with her.

 

Peter nodded slowly, a taunting look in his eyes as he focused on Ariana. “You’re right, Liam. Ariana liked to kill with her lethal poisons once upon a time. Kept her hands clean but her wallet full. Smart. But she likes to bend the rules too, don’t you Ari? Poison isn’t your only method.”

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam said, his voice wavering in brief uncertainty although he tried to hide it. He was trying so hard to stand his ground, to defend her, but he had no idea what he was defending. He had no idea what she had done.

 

“Oh, they really don’t know?” Peter’s gaze was steady on Ariana. “They don’t know the blood you carry on your hands?”

 

Ariana took a shaky breath, clenching her fists tightly. A hint of a smirk flickered on her lips as she saw the ground below Peter shake a little.

 

“Come on, surely you told them,” Peter said, eyes widening with mock surprise. Ariana didn’t respond, staring back at him as she ignored the way the dust was slowly rising around her small frame.

 

“That’s quite a burden to carry” Peter continued, “See you can blame me for your pain all you like, but I’m not the one with the body count here. Killing your own best friend can’t be an easy thing to live with. Especially not when it was Garrett’s dagger you drove through Violet’s heart.”

 

The world seemed to stop for a moment as Ariana froze, her heart dropping in her chest so quickly she thought she might collapse with it.

 

A wave of silence washed across the room as each member of the pack slowly turned to stare at the small girl with an array of expressions. Ariana lifted her gaze from Peter to look at everyone else, already terrified of what she would see.

 

There as Malia with pure surprise in her eyes, and Kira’s soft wide eyes full of an undeserved level of compassion.Scott was looking at her with a mixture of understanding and shock. Maybe now he understood the fury bubbling inside her. He could finally see that the fury was just cloaking an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Beside him, Stiles had an odd expression on his face, as if he suddenly understood Ariana for the first time. Had he hurt others before? Hurt the people closest to him knowing he had no choice? Hurt them under circumstances far beyond his control?

 

And then there was Liam. Ariana struggled to meet his gaze, but she forced her eyes to him, tears already blurring her view. Blinking them away, she could make out no real expression on his face. Liam stared back at her, his face suddenly completely unreadable as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard. Ariana didn’t linger on his face though, her eyes quickly pulling themselves towards Genevieve.

 

Genevieve. Pure hearted, kind eyed Genevieve standing there as if her own world had just shattered into tiny pieces around her. The reality that the small brunette she’d grown up with really was a killer. The slow realisation as her brain started to tie the connections to each other. Genevieve was a smart girl. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. The pieces that created a violent realisation of truth. That Ariana’s violent act had thrown them both into a world of chaos. That Ariana was the real one to blame.

 

Ariana pulled her gaze back to Peter, her brain suddenly foggy with a white rage. She’d clung onto that dark secret for so long, terrified of revealing what she was really capable of. But Peter had just thrown it out into the open with no hesitation. She couldn’t go back now. There was no erasing it. She had killed her best friend and now everyone knew. Now they could see the darkness in her heart. “You shouldn’t have told them that,” she said coldly, her voice suddenly dropping in pitch. She flexed her hands a little, taking in the way the tremors flickered on the edge of her fingertips. Her eyes narrowed towards Peter as she took a sharp breath in.

 

The earthquake started before Ariana even had to think about it. But once it started, she could feel the icy burn in her fingertips, the tremors pushing themselves out of her body and into the ground below them, causing the dust to fly up around her, whirling around like the beginning of a tornado, the ground rumbling loudly below. The vibrations shifted through the ground, growing stronger as Ariana’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Uh…Ariana?” Scott called out uncertainly, reaching out a hand from where he hovered a few steps away. “You need to focus. You need to calm down, okay?” His voice was calm, protective, but his words went over the small druid’s head, her eyes full of rage as they stayed locked on Peter.

 

“You wanted power, Peter? I’ll show you power.” Ariana’s voice was cool as she spoke over the roaring chaos, remnants of her old assassin self slipping into her voice. She’d spent so long hiding the guilt and pain of what she had done, and Peter had exposed her without even flinching. Peter hadn’t seemed to feel any sense of guilt at all. He had ruined her life over and over again. He had taken away the people she loved. He had probably ruined her chances of ever being trusted again.

 

The earthquake was still growing, rumbling and crackling as the beams around them all starting to shake under the pressure of the moment until several poles began to crumble from the bottom upwards. Dust was flying through the air like a mini sandstorm within the building itself as it began to shudder under the pressure. The entire building was unstable enough already, but this was probably all it needed to come crashing down.

 

The tremors flowed out of Ariana easier than they had in the past, and her hands were steady, eyes darkening as she let her body tug energy from the earth, sending it straight back out towards Peter. 

 

“We need to get out of here! NOW!” Scott roared, jolting the rest of the pack out of their stunned stillness. The rest of the pack remained frozen for a beat, half still in shock from Peter’s revelation, but it only took a moment before they broke into a loud chaotic jumble of bodies, all determined to protect themselves from the earthquake that seemed to be growing in size.

 

“ARIANA!” Liam let out a desperate shout, reaching out a hand towards her, but Ariana ignored him, both hands now stretched out in front of her, sending the centre of the earthquake directly beneath Peter, dust flying directly at him as he gazed back at her, a dark smug expression still on his lips. 

 

The chaos was only growing, and as Ariana maintained eye contact with Peter, she let a tiny twitch escape out of her body, her fingers flickering as she aimed them to Peter’s feet. Almost on cue, the ground below Peter suddenly caved in below him, causing him to lose his balance, pieces of stone and rubble all flying around him as he fell to the ground with a shout, an uncharacteristic look of fear flickering on his face before he disappeared under the rubble. Ariana’s lips curled into half of a smirk as she let the earthquake grow below her, the energy flowing through her in a way she’d never quite felt before.

 

Then, just as suddenly as the tremors had begun, they came to an abrupt halt, the entire world coming to a jarring stillness. Ariana swayed slightly for half a moment before collapsed to the ground, her eyes drifting shut as she slipped out of consciousness.

 

“Ari? NO!” Genevieve let out a loud cry, the hint of a roar slipping from her lungs, sprinted towards Ariana, ignoring Kira’s warning. The older girl lunged for Genevieve but the tiny redhead was already skidding to a halt in front of Ariana’s now unmoving body. Genevieve sank to her knees, hands fluttering around Ariana, her brain too frantic and erratic and unable to register the faint heartbeat coming from below.

 

There was a tense silence, the sound of beams a few rooms away still creaking in the aftermath, as everyone watched Ariana. Liam stood a few steps away, his blue eyes wide with terror as he watched Ariana’s chest rising ever so slightly. The rest of the pack stood in a poorly formed circle behind, all waiting with bated breath.

 

Finally after a moment Ariana’s eyes fluttered open as she pushed herself onto her elbows with a gasp, brow still furrowed as her brain caught up with her body and woke itself up.

 

“I- I don’t understand…” Ariana trailed off as her eyelids fluttered in confusion, frowning as she looked around her at the damage she’d caused. She hadn’t meant to create this kind of chaos. But how had she stopped it?

 

“You stopped it!” Liam breathed out, a relieved smile slipping up his face as he moved towards Ariana, his hair sticking out at all kinds of odd angles but still somehow looking incredibly endearing. There was still hesitance in his eyes as he looked at her, like he was suddenly aware of the terrible actions she was capable of. But he reached for her hand all the same.

 

Ariana shook her head though, pulling her hand away as her brow furrowed. “I- I didn’t- I didn’t stop it….” she stammered as she pulled herself back up to stand, clutching her hands to body, holding herself together, her mind racing as she tried to understand what had just happened. She’d felt this sensation before, the sudden freeze washing over her body, blocking the earthquake before she could even think about gaining control, the confusion clouding her brain suddenly. 

 

“I did.”

 

Ariana snapped her head up to the doorway, eyes widening. “Lucas?” she breathed, staring up in disbelief.

 

Sure enough, there he was standing there with his arms folded across his chest. Lucas’s dark hair was mused up and he looked slightly disheveled but there was an oddly calm expression on his face, like he was totally unaffected by the fact that Ariana had just created an earthquake in front of his eyes.

 

“Lucas? Wha-what are you doing here? How did you get here- wait…What do you mean _you_ did?” Ariana asked, blinking as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

 

“You were out of control, Ari. Someone had to step in before you brought Mexico into ruins,” Lucas said. His tone was steady and matter-of-fact as he clasped his hands in front of him, offering half a smile as he glanced around the room. 

 

“Someone- You- but how?” Ariana’s brain was whirling too quickly to lock onto any solid thought, confusion overtaking any other emotion right now.

 

Lucas raised a somewhat amused eyebrow at her, waiting for her brain to click, but she was too confused and exhausted from her earthquake to comprehend anything.

 

“You’re a druid too,” Ariana said quietly, suddenly frozen as a mixture of horror and devastated realisation flickered across her face.

 

Lucas inhaled slowly, his gaze flickering between Ariana and Genevieve who had moved to hover behind Ariana, arms folded tightly across her chest as she watched Lucas suspiciously. “I’m not the bad guy here, Ari. I’ve been looking out for you. Just like I’ve always done,” he said calmly, holding his hands out in defence.“How do you think you stopped all of those earthquakes? You were out of control. You didn’t understand your power, so I stepped in and cut you off before you could send Beacon Hills into the ground. You’re lucky I got here when I did before you took down half of Mexico too.”

 

Ariana narrowed her eyes as she studied Lucas, her brain sifting through all of her memories of Lucas, all of the moments he had conveniently shown up. He’d appeared at her house the very first time her powers revealed themselves, and she hadn’t even thought to question it. Suddenly her own stupidity felt overwhelming. She was so used to having everything figured out and now she was completely thrown off guard.

 

Lucas hadn’t finished though, taking a cautious step closer to her. “Not to mention, if it wasn’t for me, you would’ve been arrested ages ago. I got to the police and the FBI before they started hunting you down along with Violet and Garrett. I convinced them all that you were innocent before they could bring you in too.”

 

Ariana felt herself stumble half a step backwards, her head shaking back and forth as she felt her entire world shifting slightly. Genevieve brushed a hand against her arm and Ariana moved on instinct, reaching down to clasp Genevieve’s hand in her own as they stood across from the one person they’d both spent their entire lives trusting.

 

“And Gen. You think it was a coincidence you ended up in the woods right near Satomi?” Lucas asked, turning to Genevieve with a raised eyebrow. “I led you there. Persuaded you to take the darker path deep into the woods, right into Satomi’s line of sight that night.”

 

“Why?” Genevieve asked, desperation slipping into her voice as she edged forward, resisting Ariana’s effort to tug her back.

 

“Because I knew Satomi could help you.” Lucas explained. “I knew you’d need her.”

 

Genevieve shook her head, bright red waves brushing over her shoulder and into her eyes. She pushed her hair away in frustration as she did her best to understand what was happening.

 

“But why? Why did you do all of that?” Ariana interrupted. “You knew what we were going through this whole time, and you never said anything. Did you know what Peter was doing too? Peter created the deadpool with our names on it. My parents were killed by a werewolf and then a werewolf puts me on his hit list. I’m not an idiot. I can put two and two together.”

 

“Peter didn’t kill your parents,” Lucas said quickly, his head turning to Ariana, although his gaze flickered towards Genevieve briefly.

 

Ariana stared at Lucas, a frown sinking itself onto her face. “But you know who did… You’re the one who told me about werewolves. You-” Ariana cut herself off, stepping back as her body swayed slightly, realisation sinking in.

 

Lucas stared back at her, waiting.

 

“You gave the order,” Ariana said suddenly as it clicked into place, her eyes darkening as her stomach twisted in on itself. “That’s what Kate meant. _You_ were her old friend. She was working for you.” Ariana waited for Lucas to defend himself, for him to deny her accusations, but instead he just kept his gaze steady on hers, his head tilting forwards into the slightest nod.

 

Ariana stepped back slightly, her shoulder bumping against Genevieve’s as she shook her head in disbelief as the weight of her own realisation sunk in. “You ordered Kate to kill Garrett. And to leave Violet so I’d be left to ‘finish the job’. You moved Violet’s body to the Nemeton. You made this all happen. Why?” Ariana glared at Lucas, ignoring the way Genevieve stiffened slightly beside her at the mention of Violet and Garrett.

 

“I’m just trying to help all of you.” Lucas looked down at Ariana, his brow furrowed slightly as if he was trying to get her to understand something, like there was some kind of hidden message in his words but Ariana’s brain was too overwhelmed to process anything else.

 

“Help us?” Ariana stared at Lucas, her eyes widening. There was no way he was serious. “Really? So when I watched Garrett bleeding out in the middle of the road, you were helping me? And when I got to the Argent warehouse and found Violet bleeding out on the floor, was that your idea of helping?” Ariana stepped closer to Lucas, her words vicious as she glared up at him. Behind her, she could hear Scott inhaling sharply, perhaps recollecting that night, finally understanding the weight she’d been carrying.

 

“When I had to push Garrett’s dagger into her chest, were you _helping_?” Ariana continued, the memories flooding back in full as she fought back tears, her voice edging into hysteria. “While I was watching the light die in my best friend’s eyes, holding her in my arms as she died because of me, were you just helping?”

 

Luca was unaffected by her wrath though. Instead he just nodded, clasping his hands in front of himself calmly. “You’ll understand eventually, Ari. You might even thank me one day.”

 

“Why though?” Genevieve asked, any sense of timidness gone as she stepped in front of Ariana, almost protectively. “Why do all of this?”

 

Lucas tilted his chin up slightly as he looked down at the girls, but before he could answer, there was a thundering of footsteps as several unfamiliar faces all clutching weapons burst into the wreckage, all clearly hunters judging by their suspicious expressions as they scanned the room. Lucas took a step backwards, dropping his head with a sigh as the tension snapped within the room, all possibilities of further confrontation now seeping away as the pack all shifted out of their frozen horror.

 

Ariana clutched Genevieve’s hand in her own as she took in a shuddering breath, the two girls watching Lucas silently as he moved closer to the hunters, pointing out Peter’s body under the mess of rubble Ariana had caused.

 

——————————————————————————

 

Peter regained consciousness far quicker than anyone in the room would have liked, although the mass of hunters all aiming guns at him made him willing enough to follow them out as Ariana stood against the wall, watching the rest of the pack checking each other over. Everyone seemed to be okay, no major injuries thank goodness. Emotionally, that was a different story though. Liam was clearly shaken by Peter’s revelation about Violet since he had barely said a word to Ariana. He’d glanced over at her a few times but every time she locked eyes with him he dropped his gaze, clearly uneasy, or maybe just a little afraid of the power she’d demonstrated earlier.

 

Ariana hadn’t even known she could create an earthquake like that, and part of her couldn’t help feeling terrified of what else she could have done if Lucas hadn’t stepped in. For all she knew, she could have killed everyone in her white rage.

 

“Careful Ariana. I saw the way you looked at me, ready to kill. Jennifer Blake had the same look in her eyes.”Peter gave Ariana a knowing look as he suddenly stumbled up beside her, a sly smirk slipping up his lips as he stepped closer, ignoring the young hunter attempting to push him forwards. “It’s only a matter of time until everyone else sees that darkness inside you too.”

 

His voice was low enough to be missed by anyone else nearby, but Ariana tensed up all the same. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a syllable out, Lucas was standing behind her.

 

“Alright Peter, that’s enough.” Lucas’s voice was terse even as Ariana stepped away uneasily. Lucas didn’t seem to pay her any attention though, his manner cool as he gazed at Peter. He was almost like a completely different person to the boy she’d grown up with, suddenly so cold and unfamiliar.

 

Peter raised an eyebrow back at Lucas. “Enough? We had a deal. I deliver the girls, I get Scott.”

 

“Yes, and you broke your end of the deal,” Lucas said as he folded his arms across his chest. “I told you, the girls remain unharmed.”

 

“I don’t know if you saw, but I think Ariana was the one causing the harm,” Peter said dryly. “You think I’m the big bad villain here?” he continued, turning his gaze back to Ariana with a sly look. “I’m just getting justice for my family. I’m not the one with the big evil plan here. Lucas can tell you all about that though,”

 

“That’s enough,” Lucas said bluntly, stepping closer to Peter. Without warning, he tugged a small vile of what appeared to be wolfsbane out of his pocket, neatly injecting the contents into Peter’s neck before Peter could even begin to protest. A moment later, Peter was slumping to the ground again. Lucas glanced down disdainfully as several hunters moved to lift Peter and carried him carefully out of the room.

 

Finally Lucas turned back to Ariana with a slow inhale. “Okay, look Ariana-”

 

“I don’t want to hear it,” Ariana cut him off, hugging her arms to her chest tightly as she shook her head. “Whatever it is, I don’t care.”

 

“But there’s still so much you need to know. So much you need to understand,” Lucas said quietly, insisting as he looked down at her but everything that had once seemed comforting and brotherly now just felt false.

 

Ariana was already stepping away though, shaking her head frantically. “No, I can’t do this. You just stood by while my entire world fell apart. In fact, you were the the whole cause behind it. I just…I can’t do this.”

 

Without letting Lucas defend himself any further, Ariana turned on her heels, marching out after the hunters, ignoring the rest of the pack as they began to file out uneasily behind her.

 

——————————————————————————

 

Genevieve’s eyes widened as she gazed across at a few groups of hunters standing nearby the tunnels as everyone filed out. The largest group surrounding all of the big black vehicles were the Calaveras, a big family of hunters, according to Kira who was hovering beside Genevieve protectively now despite her own exhaustion.

 

A few feet away, Genevieve could see Ariana standing alone near Braeden’s van as a few hunters loaded up a wolfsbane-coma induced Peter while Lucas talked to the Deputy Sheriff nearby. Lucas had glanced over at Genevieve and Ariana a few times but they’d both made it incredibly clear that they weren’t ready to talk to him any time soon. He had answers they probably needed of course, but right now the betrayal was too raw. Instead, Genevieve pulled her gaze back to the rest of the movement happening around the church grounds.

 

There were several hunters still roaming the area with weapons out in defensive mode, all different ages, including two teenagers who looked roughly the same age as Kira, although the hardened expressions on their faces gave Genevieve a feeling they were probably a lot less kind. The boy clutched a large rifle as his eyes scanned the area while the girl, possibly his sister, twirled a knife in one hand as she eyed Scott where he stood talking to Derek.

 

A woman, older than the rest of the hunters, stepped closer to Genevieve, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied her for a moment. “You’re a Carey wolf.” The woman’s tone was matter of fact, a slight edge of hostility barely masked underneath, her hunting instincts clearly still active as she faced the young werewolf.

 

Genevieve froze, her eyes widening more than usual at the mention of her parents. This was the second time someone had recognised her based on them after years of oblivion and it was a little jarring to say the least. “You- you know my parents?” she stammered out, hugging her arms around her body uneasily.

 

The lady shook her head briefly, the sharp turn of her head cutting off Genevieve before she could ask any more questions. “ _Knew_ of them. My name is Araya Calavera,” she said and it was clear her name was obviously well known. A name to be wary of. To be feared. “My hunters spent many years chasing down your family’s pack.”

 

The words cut into Genevieve like a dagger, her body swaying slightly at the past tense.

 

“We tracked the Careys for years but they always put up a good fight,” Araya continued, hands clasped in front of her body as she spoke. “And the Careys had a pair of very powerful emissaries to guide them. They were smart. Strategic. Enduring.”

 

“What happened to my parents? Did you kill them?” Genevieve asked, stepping closer to the hunter despite her fear. She’d heard most of this already from Chris Argent not long ago, but something about the way Araya was looking at her told Genevieve that she had more information. She knew something, and after years of pushing away any conversations of her parents, suddenly Genevieve couldn’t turn away.

 

“No, the Carey alphas vanished fourteen years ago. We caught one of their betas not long afterwards down in Southern California. It seems your parents simply vanished over night without any warning.” The woman’s voice was cool and detached, as though she had no idea of the weight of her words.

 

“Fourteen years ago….When exactly? Do you remember?” Ariana had joined Genevieve now although she still kept her distance, clearly still shaken from what had happened in the church. She jutting her chin forward to stare calmly up at the hunter, giving off an air of confidence that made it impossible to forget her assassin past.

 

“Well I don’t usually keep track of dates but we’d been chasing this pack for a while…” Araya trailed off for a moment, her eyes glazing off into the distance as she thought back through the years and endless hunting trips. Finally she pursed her lips with a nod, the memory finally resurfacing. “Oh yes of course. We found the beta in early November.”

 

Genevieve drew in a sharp breath, her heart constricting in her chest suddenly as Ariana stumbled into her, their shoulders knocking against each other. The girls hadn’t talked for almost five years but that didn’t mean all of their shared memories had disappeared.

 

“What? What’s wrong?” Kira asked, turning to face Genevieve as the redhead’s face paled slightly.

 

Ariana’s arms were wrapped around her small frame now, fists clenched tightly. She was staring straight at Genevieve, her eyes wide and unblinking. “My parents were killed on the first of November. Fourteen years ago.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey friends thanks for getting through this monster of a chapter! What did you think? I hope you enjoyed the pack’s trip to Mexico. We’re slowly starting to get some answers although Lucas is definitely keeping something to himself…But fear not! The final chapter isn’t far away! Feel free to leave a review and tell me your thoughts/questions/cries of rage and prepare yourselves for the final chapter as Ariana finally gets the answers she’s been waiting for! Your support and reviews all mean the world to me and I’m so excited to share the end of this fic with you all soon :)


	22. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright friends, here we are at the final chapter of Take Me Down (not including the epilogue still to come)! Before you get stuck into reading I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who has supported me through Ariana and Genevieve's journey so far! To everyone who left reviews, or followed/favourited, you all mean the world to me and I could not have finished this fic without knowing you all had my back. Special shoutout to Ariella Blake, WildRecklessYouthInMe, notcarlsjr, thewailingwolf25, Maddie Rose, January Lily, YourpalMoony, SusieSamurai, allybz and everyone in the OC community on tumblr for your constant words of encouragement and love throughout this story. Anyway, here we go with the final chapter!

 

After finally arriving back at Scott's house after a long silent trip from Mexico, Ariana was more than keen to go and shower to freshen up, mostly because it meant she could get away from the wary glances she'd been receiving from everyone in the pack. The entire drive home had been silent as Ariana tried to ignore the stares from Liam and Genevieve until they finally got to Scott's to regroup and recover.

Liam had attempted to brush his hand against hers every now and then as the car rumbled along, but he seemed to hesitant to touch her too much. He was probably afraid she would explode on him now that he'd seen her rage first hand. Or maybe he was too scared of her after hearing what she'd done. After hearing how she had pushed a dagger through her best friend's chest. Ariana had to admit she wouldn't blame Liam if he never spoke to her again.

Ariana had been the first to tumble out of the car, barely sparing a glance back at a confused Liam as she made her way up to the spare room to grab a change of clothes before heading straight to the bathroom. She'd showered for longer than necessary, doing her best to wash away the anxiety and trauma she'd been wearing for the last few hours, but finally she made her way back to the spare room and sunk onto the bed, vaguely wondering how much longer she could avoid everyone.

"I'm sorry." Liam's voice broke Ariana out of her daze and her head snapped up, taking in the way he hovered at the bedroom door, those blue eyes staring cautiously at her.

"Sorry for what? You didn't almost destroy half of Mexico," Ariana replied, bitterness and pain seeping into her tone as she ducked her head back down to where her hands sat clasped tightly in her lap, the whites of her knuckles revealing the anxiety in her body.

Liam inhaled slowly before moving into the room, letting the door swing half shut as he eased himself onto the bed beside her. "I'm sorry about Violet. I'm sorry that you felt like you couldn't tell me. I'm sorry you had to carry that around for so long." His voice was soft, warmth radiating unexpectedly from him and the gentleness in his tone threw Ariana off. There was no fear in his eyes as she stared up at him, only empathy and sorrow for her.

"I couldn't tell you," Ariana said finally, her breath hitching slightly around her throat. "I couldn't- Couldn't let you see what I did- I didn't want to do it. But Violet was already dying and she needed the pain to stop and she asked me and I had the dagger and I-" Ariana was rambling now as she clutched her hands tightly together, shaking her head slightly as the words tumbled out of her mouth wildly.

"Ari- Ariana, it's okay," Liam said, turning a little to face her, his brow furrowed as he tried to sooth her.

"I killed my best friend. I-I  _killed_  her." Ariana had only said the phrase once aloud to Deaton, and saying it again didn't crush her any less than the first time. She felt the tears spilling over her cheeks as her head rocked forwards, unable to hold her own weight up as the guilt pushed itself down over her shoulders, taking over her entire body.

Without hesitating, Liam pulled Ariana into his arms, holding her tightly as she let the tears flow, her entire body trembling with grief. "I've got you, Ari. I'm not going anywhere," Liam repeated softly as Ariana let out several weeks of unshed tears.

She pressed her face against Liam's chest, the sound of his heartbeat slowly calming her down, although the pain in her chest didn't quite disappear. But it was enough, allowing her to take a slow and shaky breath in, the tremors in her body fading before they had a chance to slip into the ground below.

After a while of comfortable silence, only slightly disrupted by Ariana's sniffing, there was a gentle knock on the door, causing Ariana to straighten up as she pulled her teary gaze upwards.

"Hey guys, mind if I chat to Ariana for a moment?" Scott asked, giving Liam a fairly unsubtle pointed look. Liam glanced across at Ariana questioningly, waiting for her to nod as she brushed her face to remove any sign of tears. He squeezed Ariana's hand quickly before standing up and ducking past Scott, giving Ariana one last smile before he disappeared around the corner of the doorway.

Ariana watched silently as Scott leaned against the doorway, his own eyes gazing over her, studying her. Something in Ariana's gut told her this was more than just a quick check-in conversation. Scott wanted to talk. Maybe he'd finally realised how dangerous Ariana was. Maybe she'd wasted all her chances of redemption. Now Scott knew what she was capable of. Peter had revealed her violent actions to the entire pack and Ariana had known it was only a matter of time before she saw the consequences. Maybe this was the moment Scott finally told her to leave.

As Scott moved into the room, Ariana noticed the duffel bag he was carrying in one hand. Garrett's duffel. It was the bag Garrett had stuffed the Benefactor's money into, back when they had bold plans to leave town and start over. Clearly Scott wanted to return it so Ariana could pack it herself, pack up her things and finally follow through on The Orphan's exit strategy.

"Open the bag," Scott said finally as he placed the bag beside Ariana on the bed.

Ariana frowned suspiciously as she edged slightly away from it, her heart thudding against her chest. Was this some kind of sick way of kicking her out? Forcing her to relive her past with the people she'd lost? "Why?" she asked, her hands remaining tightly clasped in her lap, her eyes focused on the bag as she willed back the tears threatening to return.

Scott paused, probably picking up on the increase in her heartbeat, or maybe he could smell the fear and pain coming off her in waves. Finally he moved forward slowly, dropping into a crouch in front of her as he reached up to unzip the bag.

As Ariana warily peered inside, her eyes widened and she felt her body reeling back slightly. "I-I don't…"

"I spoke to Derek," Scott said softly, glancing from the contents of the bag and back to Ariana as the corners of his lips quirked up into a kind smile. "You've been through a lot, so much more than any of us realised. Derek said he doesn't need the money and we wanted you to know we're here for you."

"How much is in here?" Ariana asked, her voice a little softer than she'd intended, the kindness suddenly a little overwhelming for her small frame.

"Well it's not half a million dollars," Scott said, his tone light as he raised an eyebrow up at her. "But it should be enough to help you with whatever you need. For a while, anyway."

"I don't know what to say…I don't deserve this." Ariana fiddled with the zip of Garrett's bag, pursing her lips as she looked down at the wards of cash bundled up inside. "I've done awful things. I've caused so much pain. I tried to kill you-"

"And then you saved my life. Several times," Scott interrupted her, reaching out to squeeze her hand gently. "You were in pain. I don't blame you for that."

"How can you say that?" Ariana asked helplessly.

"I know you're not a bad person, Ariana," Scott simply, and his eyes were warm with truth. He honestly believed that, and the realisation hit Ariana as she inhaled sharply. "You've just been stuck in some bad circumstances," Scott continued. "But that doesn't have to define you. You can be good. You can have good things."

Ariana didn't speak, the warmth in Scott's eyes rendering her speechless. She nodded instead, taking in a deep shuddering breath as she let a hand rest on the duffel bag, accepting the gift as little as she deserved it.

Scott smiled back as he straightened up again, moving back towards the doorway. "Alright, come on let's head back downstairs," he said, gesturing with his head to encourage Ariana to follow him. "Genevieve is still here so I need to take her back at Satomi's soon, and then we all need to have a proper conversation about what happened in Mexico." There was nothing ominous in his tone, just kindness and the desire to help.

* * *

Genevieve was sitting outside on Scott's front porch when Ariana found her, the small redhead's arms wrapped around her knees as she stared out to the garden. There as a small crease hovering between her eyebrows giving a small hint to the many thoughts running through her brain. Ariana sat beside her wordless and the two girls sat in silence for a while, neither quite knowing what to say or where to start.

"Thanks." Genevieve finally broke the silence, her voice was soft and reluctant as her eyes stared intently at a spot just by Ariana's feet.

"Hm?" Ariana turned to look at Genevieve, eyebrows furrowing slightly as she tilted her head, the word confusing her a little. She'd been expecting several different possibilities, but she hadn't anticipated Genevieve thanking her for anything.

"Thanks. For helping me in the car…The panic attack," Genevieve added awkwardly. "I can't believe you still remembered what to do."

Ariana hesitated, nibbling on her bottom lip for a moment as she nodded slowly. "Oh. Um, no problem."

There was another pause as the girls both stared anywhere but each other, two pairs of eyes flickering around Scott's front garden both searching for distractions.

"I- Things just can't go back to how they were, Ari," Genevieve said finally. "It's not that simple for me."

"I know. I…I know they can't." Ariana bobbed her head up and down quickly, her fists clenching unconsciously in her lap. Five years of tension and bitterness couldn't vanish that easily, she was well aware of that.

"Too much has happened. It still hurts, you know," Genevieve continued, staring just past Ariana as her brow furrowed slightly, memories flooding back through her brain.

Ariana watched her silently for a moment, her heart clenching slightly in her chest as she nodded, but there was something more waiting to spill out, words she'd waited years to say aloud. "I didn't have a choice. You know that," she said finally. "He didn't give me a choice."

"Darren told you not to talk back," Genevieve interrupted, forcing herself past the stammer as her mind flashed back to her last foster home, to where it had all gone so wrong. "He told you that he'd kick you out of the home if you did, but you wanted to get kicked out so you could live with Violet instead. We promised we were in this together, and then you left. You left me." Genevieve's voice cracked slightly as she spoke and she stared down at the ground, inhaling deeply before any tears could spill over her cheeks.

The memory stung in Ariana's brain, tears prickling in the back of her eyelids as she stared at Genevieve, her head shaking back and forth slightly. She remembered every last detail of those last few days, the shouting matches with her foster father, the uncontrollable rage spilling out of her small ten year old self as she watched him throw her belongings carelessly into a plastic bag before pushing her towards the social worker waiting at the door.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to abandon you. I was going to drag you along with me if I had to. But Darren told me you wanted to stay." Ariana said finally, her eyebrows knitting together as the memory of her tearful pleading to Darren resurfaced in her mind. "I told the social worker to send you too and she said you didn't want to come with me."

"I never said that," Genevieve said, her eyes widening defensively. "I just came home from ballet and thought you'd left me. Why didn't you just tell me? Why didn't you say anything?"

"You didn't let me. The moment you heard I was shifting foster homes, you cut all ties." Ariana shrugged, hugging her arms a little tighter to her body at the memory.

"I guess I'm sorry too then," Genevieve said quietly, her heart sinking a little at the realisation. Years of lost friendship and sisterhood they could never get back. Years of bitter glances all distorting what had once been the most meaningful relationship she'd had. "I just didn't want to lose any more family."

"Well I'm here now. If that counts for anything," Ariana said after a quiet moment, one hand reaching between them to close the gap as she squeezed Genevieve's hand.

The two girls locked eyes, gazing at each other quietly as they sat there, hands intertwined as they exchanged a small smile full of more unsaid words, full of shared apologies and promises to be better, to fix whatever they'd broken together.

* * *

By the time Stiles pulled the jeep up to Satomi's house, Genevieve could feel the jitters churning in her stomach. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly seeing Brett again was giving her an odd feeling, as eager as she was to see him. Maybe it was the memory of his eyes before she left, disappointment written all over his face. She didn't know if she could handle seeing that expression again.

"Hey, I'll talk to Satomi, okay? I'll let her know what happened. Don't worry about that," Scott said gently to Genevieve from the front seat, offering a kind smile.

He'd already explained that he'd need to take Genevieve back to his house for the pack meeting later even though she wasn't a part of Scott's pack and since Genevieve was still trying to understand pack dynamics, she hadn't bothered to argue. She knew she was connected to Ariana and while they sorted out what that connection was they needed to stick together. That meant temporarily sticking with Scott's pack, as long as Satomi didn't mind. The last thing Genevieve needed was to lose another parental figure.

As the jeep came to a halt, Genevieve turned anxiously to look at Kira who was sitting on her other side, providing a quiet comfort.

"You'll be fine. And we'll wait here," Kira said with an encouraging smile, indicating to herself and Stiles who had insisted on coming along only because he'd insisted that no one else was allowed to touch the jeep. Genevieve nodded slowly as she moved to climb out of the jeep, shutting the door carefully as Stiles watched with narrowed eyes as if he was expecting her wolf powers to rip the door in half accidentally.

"Gen!"

Genevieve whipped her head at the familiar voice of Brett, her eyes already lighting up with relief as she watched the taller boy jogging towards her. He had an odd expression on his face, a mixture of relief and determination as he moved closer, ignoring the others piled in the jeep behind her as Scott moved past them and into the house to find Satomi.

As he finally reached her, Brett's hands reached up to cup Genevieve's face, his eyes searching hers wildly as he brushed a thumb against her cheek anxiously. "You're okay? How did you go with the moon? You were okay?" he asked quickly, barely giving her a moment to respond.

Genevieve reached one hand up uncertainly to brush against Brett's hand as it cupped her cheek. "The mantra worked. I'm fine," she assured him, a smile quirking up her lips at his touch.

"Good. Good, that's…That's good. But how was Mexico?" Brett asked, eyebrows furrowed with concern that refused to vanish despite Genevieve's attempts to appease him.

"It was…It was a lot." Genevieve inhaled slowly, her arms reaching up to wrap around her own small frame as memories flashed back through her mind. "But I'm okay."

"You said that. What happened there?" Brett asked, stepping back to study her face, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

Genevieve heaved in a slow breath, her brain trying to pinpoint where to start and coming up blank instead. "It was just…I don't know. We found Scott and Kira, so that was good. Um…Yeah, and found another hunter who knew of my parents." Genevieve rushed over her last sentence, hands moving to twist together in front of her body.

Brett's eyes widened a little, his brow furrowing even deeper as he looked at her, new pity in his eyes. "What did they say? Do you know anything else?"

Genevieve shrugged heavily, shaking her head. "Just that they disappeared fourteen years ago. When I was sent to my first foster home." She didn't tell Brett about the connection to the death of Ariana's parents, the mystery now weighing itself on the two girls' shoulders. Brett already had his own suspicions of Ariana, and Genevieve didn't want to add to them right now, not when she already had other things on her mind.

"Brett…Um, before I left…you wanted to say something," Genevieve said after a moment, wringing her hands gently together and squeezing her palms together as she breathed in slowly.

Brett raised an eyebrow as he stared down at Genevieve, accepting the swift change in conversation but still a little confused. "I did?"

Genevieve nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip as she pushed down the butterflies rising back up in her stomach. "You told me we can pick up on pheromones. Well…I could smell anxiety and it wasn't me."

Brett ducked his eyes to the ground with a chuckle, clearly amused at her strong observation skills. "You really are a powerful little wolf," he said lightly as he took a small step closer to her, one hand still cupping her cheek as he looked down into her eyes, his gaze warm and endearing.

"Well?" Genevieve could feel her own anxiety spiking up now as she pressed him for an answer, a hundred different scenarios suddenly racing through her mind. Had he worked out her own confusing feelings for him? Was he trying to let her down gently? Had he found another werewolf with perfect control and flawless confidence? Someone whose shoulders were free of years of baggage?

Before she could question him again though, Brett was already moving his head down, one hand tilting her chin upwards as he pressed his lips gently to hers, his other hand moving to her back as he kissed her.

Genevieve's eyes fluttered shut at the touch of his lips and she froze for a brief moment, her brain going blank for a moment at the realisation of her first kiss, before suddenly speeding into overdrive. Moving her lips against his, Genevieve let one hand reach up to wrap around Brett's neck, the other gently resting on his chest as she pressed her small body against his, taking in every sensation right now.

They stayed like that for a moment, Brett's lips slanting over Genevieve's as she shifted to tug him a little closer to her, letting the kiss linger.

"I wanted to do that before you left," Brett said softly, straightening up a little but he didn't move away, keeping his body close to hers, one hand brushing a lock of hair out of Genevieve's eyes. "But you had enough to worry about."

Genevieve glanced downwards, her cheeks flushing slightly as she bit down a grin. Corey had been right after all, as unbelievable as the moment felt right now. It was almost like a dream, too good to be true. But then again, Genevieve was due for some good after all the chaos she'd gone through over the last few hours. "Well I'm glad I'm back now then," she replied finally as she pulled her eyes back up to Brett's adoring gaze.

"Um Gen? We're leaving now…" Kira's voice broke through the moment, slightly uncertain as she called out from the back seat of Stiles's jeep while Scott climbed in the front seat.

Brett frowned slightly as his eyes took in Kira's expression, expectant and a little impatient as she waited for Genevieve to climb into the jeep with her.

"I'm sorry, I have to go back with Scott's pack for a bit to sort out some things with Ariana," Genevieve said softly, playing with Brett's hands lightly, intertwining them with her own.

"Are you sure?" Brett asked, his brow furrowed as he stared across at the jeep with a doubtful look in his eyes. "Why do you have to go with them? For Ariana? Can you trust her?" he asked, squeezing Genevieve's hand gently.

"I trust her," Genevieve said firmly, her head bobbing up and down firmly. "We…we were like sisters once. And we're connected somehow. We just need to work out how and why. I'll be back soon. I promise." After a second of hesitation she reached up and pressed a kiss to Brett's lips before slowly backing away, letting their hands linger until Brett finally pulled away, dropping his head with a reluctant smile as he let her go.

* * *

The walls of Eichen House seemed to be a little gloomier as Alan Deaton walked down the hall for the second time in a week. This was much more often than he would have preferred, but he was at the end of his tether now. He needed answers, and if it meant facing the haunting corridors of Eichen again, then so be it. Alan followed the bored warden through the corridors, his eyes trained calmly ahead as he ignored the cries and shouts of the other patients hidden away behind the glass on either side of him. Finally Alan came to a halt at the small cell, almost familiar to him now. He nodded slightly, allowing the warden unlock the cell's door before marching off again until there was nothing but a thick silence.

Inhaling slowly, Alan stepped towards the glass door. He studied Valack closely, taking in the way the man's shoulders hunched over the book he was seemingly engrossed in.

"Doctor Deaton. You're back. You have more questions. The threefold," Valack stated calmly from his bed, his arms folded above his head as he looked up at Deaton. He seemed unsurprised.

"Yes. I know two young girls…Their circumstances are unusual. The daughter of druids and the daughter of two alphas. Both gained abilities on the same night. There are too many missing pieces. Someone has been interfering, but I need to be sure of how and why. I need to know what we're dealing with. I need to be sure…" Alan added as he frowned slightly. If his suspicions were indeed correct then they were all in much worse danger than they could ever prepare for.

"Ah, yes. Unusual circumstances indeed. Many players on that chess board. Powerful alphas and powerful druid emissaries. Not to mention the wild cards. There's always a wild card…" Valack swung his legs over the bed and stood up, moving swiftly towards the other side of the glass until he was only inches away from Alan. "You already know what you're up against. You know what she is," Valack said, raising a knowing eyebrow. "But if you want to know more, you'll have to come closer."

The veterinarian knew what to expect this time, taking a calm step forward and into the cell. Valack raised the bandage from his forehead, watching as Alan made contact with his third eye, the trance taking over almost immediately.

" _Donas_ ," Alan uttered the word half under his breath, eyes widening in horror for moment just before he lost consciousness.

_As Alan Deaton's eyes flew open, he was immediately disorientated by the thick darkness around him. His eyes took a moment to adjust, slowly working out his new surroundings. Unlike before, when he had found himself in the middle of the Mexican church, the location of this vision struck a nerve. It only took a beat for him to take in the familiarity of the location._

_He was standing at the edge of the Nemeton, the tall trees of the Beacon Hills woods surrounding him and almost blocking out the large flock of birds circling high above him. A breeze washed over him and the trees, causing them to rustle ominously._

_Alan was so busy focusing on the trees and birds above him that he nearly didn't notice what was right in front of him. A step closer to the ancient stump revealed the horrific sight that caused his stomach to curl as his eyes focused._

_Below his feet lay several unconscious bodies, sprawled out awkwardly. There were six in total. Deaton could make out the faint rising of their chests as he lowered himself down, confirming that they wren't dead, at least not yet. A closer look made Alan's heart thud a little harder as he recognised a familiar face below._

_"Stephan," Alan murmered, staring down at his old friend's unconscious frame. Beside him was another face, less familiar but no less recognisable to the Alan. "Oh, Alana." Deaton dropped his head a little, memories of his last conversation with the petite brunette. He'd told Alana to be careful. She'd told him that wasn't part of their job description. The Petrakis couple lay unmoving, but Alana's dainty hand was stretched out away from her body, reaching beside her to where a redheaded couple lay. Further away Alan could see another couple, both with wild dark hair half covering their faces although their terror was still clear in their unconscious expressions._

_"Alright, it's show time."_

_A voice broke out in the dark and Alan straightened up suddenly as a woman emerged from the dark, her steps smooth and slow with anticipation. She had long dark hair and dark hooded eyes, a cruel smirk sitting on her lips as she moved closer. She didn't appear to notice Deaton at all, walking past him to study the bodies in front of her._

_"Now this…this is for later. Just for you shifty folk." The woman winked at the redheaded couple on the left as she toyed with a small bag full of purple ashes. Wolfsbane._

_"I'll need you to line up in a nice orderly fashion now…" The woman trailed off as she watched the unmoving bodies. She cocked her head to the side as she waited, but she was met with only a haunting stillness. "No? Rude."_

_Shrugging carelessly, she inhaled before flicking a wrist up. Instantly, a gust of wind brushed past Alan, lifting the bodies onto the centre of the Nemeton, lining them up the way a young girl would line up her dolls to prepare for bedtime. Something told Alan that this lady had something much more sinister in mind._

_He watched, eyes widening in horror as fire flickered up from the ground below the woman, spreading slowly until it engulfed the entire Nemeton, the bodies disappearing from view. The woman's hands were outstretched now, a dark smirk slipping up her lips as she tilted her head backwards to the sky, inhaling deeply._

_Before Alan could let out a horrified cry, he felt his eyes rolling back as his body tugged itself back into reality._

Valack was standing above him now, a calm expression on his face as he readjusted the bandage around his head. "I assume you have the information you need."

"I- Yes. Yes, I do." Alan straightened up, collecting himself as his mind whirled around, trying to comprehend the implications of what he had just witnessed. "I need to find the girls. They need to know what's coming," he said, nodding decisively as he stood up.

Valack took a step backwards, giving Alan a clear exit out of the room. He raised one eyebrow knowingly as he watched Alan. "Or what's already here."

* * *

"Genevieve's parents disappeared the same time my parents died. That can't be a coincidence!" Ariana insisted for the third time, her eyes flashing with irritation as she glared up at Scott from across his kitchen counter. She knew it was irrational to be mad at him right now when he was just trying to be reasonable with the information they had so far, but surely he could see something deeper was going on. The rest of the pack were all scattered around Scott's kitchen while Genevieve hovered uncertainly beside Ariana, well aware that Ariana wasn't in the mood to be disagreed with.

Scott held a hand up to calm Ariana, moving around the counter to step closer towards her. "Ari, I think we just need to think before we jump to any conclusions."

"Think about what? You don't think it's weird that they went missing the same time my parents were found drained of blood in the woods?" Ariana asked defiantly, her voice blunt as she glared up at Scott. "Only for us to get our abilities on the same night? You don't think that's strange?" she continued, hands flying wildly in the air in annoyance.

"You don't think…you don't think my parents killed yours?" Genevieve asked doubtfully. She clearly feared it herself, but Ariana shook her head firmly as she spun to face the redhead.

""No of course not," Ariana said quickly, but Genevieve was already beginning to spiral into a wave of worry, her eyes widening slightly.

"But you said werewolves killed your parents. And my parents were alpha wolves who went missing right when your parents died. I mean…what if they killed your parents and then went into hiding for some reason?" Genevieve's breath quickened slightly as she spoke, her stomach dropping slightly at the horrifying concept.

Ariana stepped closer towards Genevieve, reaching out to squeeze her hand in comfort, her jaw tightening slightly as she tried to reassure Genevieve. "No. But I think something else is going on."

"You're correct there, Ariana."

Ariana froze, halfway into another argument as she stared up at Deaton who had suddenly appeared in the doorway looking a little worse for wear. Even more worrying was the expression on his face. He looked exhausted, like he'd been dragged through a war but there was something else in his eyes that suggested the war had barely even begun.

"I spoke to Doctor Valack-" he started before being swiftly cut off.

"-You went back to Valack? Why?" Lydia asked, straightening up in her seat with a frown. "The first time was dangerous enough! What was worth risking yourself again? I know Valack was right about Derek and La Inglesia, but you nearly got trapped in your own mind."

Deaton held up a hand to stop Lydia from continuing her increasingly frantic rant. "It's okay, Lydia. As you can see, I am perfectly fine. Doctor Valack simply had answers to a few questions of mine. When I first spoke to him, he mentioned something but I didn't quite understand. Now I do. And I'm afraid it's much worse than I'd imagined."

Ariana folded her arms, the underlying awareness that she was close to answers suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

"Ariana, you were right to question your parents death," Deaton said, his voice heavy. "They weren't killed by werewolves though."

There was a small shift in the room as Ariana stumbled back slightly in disbelief. "What-what do you mean?"

Deaton tilted his head down slightly, a frown washing over his face as he continued, "I believe they were sacrificed by a very powerful druid, along with Genevieve's parents, as part of a Supernatural Threefold Sacrifice."

There was a thick silence as his words washed over the room and Ariana stared around at everyone with a confused frown, her gaze briefly locking with Liam's who looked like he was possibly going to be ill right at the kitchen table where he had slumped across from Lydia. Genevieve had let out a sharp exhale beside Ariana, clearly not prepared to hear the harsh truth of her parent's fate.

"My parents...My parents are dead?" Genevieve asked softly after a moment, her eyes glazing over slightly, the truth not quite sinking into her body.

"I'm sorry, girls. I know this must be hard to hear," Deaton said gently, his eyes kind and sympathetic as he gazed at the girls.

"Okay, elaborate? That wasn't in any of the druid rituals you've mentioned before," Ariana said, shaking off the grief that was threatening to resurface. She'd shed endless tears over her parents over the years, and hearing the truth about their death didn't hurt any less than she'd expected, but she needed answers first. She needed to know the whole truth, to understand why.

"A Supernatural Threefold Sacrifice," Deaton repeated, his face only growing graver by the minute.

"Well that's a mouthful," Stiles said, offering another pointless comment to the conversation as always. Ariana shot him a look to shut him up, smirking slightly as he rolled his eyes back at her. Still, he closed his mouth, sitting back and nodding at Deaton to continue.

"It is indeed," Deaton replied grimly. "It's also one of the most powerful and most dangerous sacrifices a druid can perform. By draining the blood of three supernatural creatures on a sacred Druid ground such as the Nemeton, a druid has the ability to unlock catastrophic levels of power. We've already seen the chaotic outcome of a Threefold Sacrifice with Jennifer Blake. This is worse."

"How much worse is a Supernatural Threefold Death?" Stiles asked warily, his fingers drumming anxiously against the kitchen bench. "Like worse as in we should maybe start panicking or worse as in there is no point panicking because we're all doomed?"

"Infinitely worse. Potentially catastrophic," Deaton's jaw clenched as he composed his thoughts, his explanation coming in small bursts. "This sacrifice allows a druid to absorb their abilities for themselves, taking elements of each creature's abilities as their own. It can give a druid far too much power. They can become the closest thing we know to invincible, if they select the right combination of supernatural beings."

"How come you never mentioned this before?" Scott asked, frowning at his mentor, and Ariana folded her arms as she turned back to look at Deaton, her stomach twisting into knots as her mind whirled with the new information.

"Well it's not something druids like to talk about. In fact, it's so rare and frowned upon that there is barely any records or information on it at all. It's more of a myth, if anything. For a druid to take the dark path to becoming a Darach is one thing, but this is a whole other level of chaos. To take this path is to become almost indestructible. The Donas-"

"The what?" Genevieve interrupted, her brow furrowing as she gazed up at Deaton in confusion.

"Donas. It's an ancient Celtic term," Deaton began to explain gently. "It's literal translation is Demon, or Devil, but now it roughly refers to a dark Druid who has become the closest thing to ultimate evil. Indestructible and flowing with power."

"Isn't that just like a Darach though? An evil Druid?" Ariana asked, her brow furrowing as she racked her brain, vague mentions of Jennifer Blake flickering though her memory.

"Worse," Deaton said simply. "Infinitely worse. This supernatural threefold ritual changes a druid, even more than becoming a darach. By sacrificing supernatural creatures for their own gain, they are disturbing the balance in the worst way. A darach has the potential to channel their darkness back to the Nemeton, to return to good. There is no known redemption for a Donas. They are the ultimate darkness."

"I don't understand…This happened years ago. When Allison, Stiles and I sacrificed ourselves we opened up the Beacon. Why didn't that happen when the Donas performed the ritual?" Scott asked, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he watched Deaton, eyes narrowed a little in confusion and concern. Ariana frowned at his words, the casual way in which he references his own sacrifice, and the way that no one else beside Genevieve seemed to find it odd. Still, there were more pressing issues to focus on.

"My best guess is that she sapped up any energy left in the Nemeton which would be why it appeared to be dormant for so many years," Deaton offered with a small shrug, clearly out of his league with this new information.

A thick silence hovered in the room for a moment as the pack all tried to absorb the weight of the new threat, the danger they were suddenly up against after being so sure that the worst was over.

Ariana frowned, trying to take in of Deaton's explanation, but something stuck out, confusion and her dedication to logic halting any sense of fear. "Wait, but you said  _three_ -fold. There's just me and Genevieve," she said, glancing beside her at Genevieve. "Does that mean the sacrifice wasn't as strong? They just got my parents and her parents? Just werewolves and druids?"

"I'm afraid not," Deaton said, shaking his head slightly with a heavy sigh. "In my vision…I saw six bodies at the Nemeton. Three sets of supernatural creatures. I'm guessing the ritual is what blocked your abilities for so long too."

"But…But I practically memorised my parent's police file. The death report never mentioned any other bodies." Ariana jutted her chin forwards slightly as she stared up at Deaton, denial suddenly clouding her vision. She'd lived with one truth for so long that shifting that belief to something even more horrific seemed impossible right now. She'd spent years and years blaming werewolves and only half believing it herself but she'd never imagined the truth could be even more violent and awful.

"In my vision, this woman had wolfsbane. It's entirely possible that she used the wolfsbane to force Genevieve's parents to shift back to their wolf form, keeping them concealed," Deaton explained, bowing his head briefly towards Genevieve with a sympathetic look.

"Just like when we found Laura," Scott said across the bench to Stiles, his eyes wide with realisation. When Stiles frowned at the reference, Scott bit his lip, frowning slightly as he glanced towards Deaton for confirmation. "When we found Laura Hale's body in the woods, it had been covered in Wolfsbane which forced her body to shift back to it's wolf form even after death," Scott explained as Deaton nodded slowly.

"Right, but what about the third couple? More werewolves then?" Stiles asked, his eyes flickering back and forth around the room curiously.

"I don't have an explanation for the third couple's disappearance, but whatever they were, she must have found a way to conceal them too," Deaton said slowly, his brow furrowed in concern.

Genevieve seemed to barely hear Deaton, her glistening eyes wide as she stared past him, chest heaving in and out slowly and deliberately. Ariana squeezed her hand in comfort, well aware of what was probably going on in her mind. Genevieve had grown up pushing any mention of her parents away, convinced that one day they would reappear and take her back into their lives. Hearing a confirmation of their death couldn't be easy to hear, especially under the brutal circumstances.

"Hang on, but if there were three sets of creatures, that means there might be someone else out there who just got their powers too…" Lydia said slowly, her eyes flickering between Ariana and Genevieve as she pursed her lips in thought. "It must be someone you both have a connection to. I mean the fact that you two knew each other without even being aware of the sacrifice has to mean something…"

"The list…" Ariana breathed out, her eyes widening suddenly as she started to grab at thin air with her hands, her brain moving faster than she could speak. "I need to look at the deadpool list…The list…"

Scott was already reaching for a copy of the list off from the kitchen table, his eyes scanning it briefly as he handed it over to Ariana.

Genevieve and Ariana both stared at the list, searching for a name, but nothing seemed to click to Ariana. She'd studied the list too many times now as an assassin and surely she would have spotted an anomaly already if there was anyone who didn't belong. Then again, she'd completely missed Genevieve's name the first time.

"I mean yeah, I recognise some of these names but I wouldn't say I have a connection to any of them apart from knowing some of their faces from school…" Ariana mused, her eyes trailing down the second part of the list and blanching for a second as she spotted her own name. Still, aside from the pack and Genevieve, no names seemed to jump out at her.

"Oh my god," Genevieve let out a sudden gasp, breaking the silence as she snatched the list to stare at it closely, eyes widening.

The pack all turned to Genevieve in confusion as she began rummaging through her old tattered ballet bag on the floor, the list flapping frantically in her other hand. Ariana opened her mouth to speak but was quickly shushed by Genevieve who was still searching frantically. Finally she stopped, tugging an old crinkled photograph out from the bottom of the bag with a huff of relief. She studied the faded image for a brief moment before inhaling sharply with a nod.

"Look," she said, pushing the photograph into Ariana's hands. Ariana looked down, frowning as she took in the image. It was an old photo of a bunch of children all lined up on the steps of Ariana and Genevieve's first foster home, each child's eyes already conveying the weight of the world on their young shoulders. She immediately spotted her baby self being held by one of the older girls, and Genevieve being held by a young Lucas beside her, but she still couldn't see what was suddenly so important about the photo.

"What am I looking at, Gen?" Ariana asked, eyes searching to understand the frantic gesturing from Genevieve beside her.

"Lucas said he's been looking out for all of us, remember? Not just both.  _All_. What if he knows who the third sacrifice was? What if it's someone we both know? Someone else who lost their parents fourteen years ago…"

"Gen? Your point?" Ariana pushed, gesturing with the photograph a little impatiently.

Genevieve let out a huff as she pointed over Ariana's shoulder at the image of a younger Ariana's baby face, scowling up at the camera. "Look who is holding you. It's her," Genevieve said, holding up the Benefactor's list beside the image as her gaze flickered between the photograph and the name that had been sitting in front of their eyes the entire time.

Suddenly it clicked as Ariana's face paled, realisation hitting her like a sharp gust of wind.

Ariana hadn't noticed before, her eyes passing over her younger self easily but when she really focused, it was easy to spot. The girl holding her looked only a few years older, dark messy hair falling around her face and almost covering the pout on her full lips. She'd grown up since then of course but there was no mistaking it.

The dark hair.

The bitter pout, suggesting too much attitude even then.

The eyes narrowed slightly, already dissatisfied with the world around her.

It was  _her_.

Siobhan Brady.

"Oh my god. I totally forgot she was a foster kid…" Ariana breathed out, staring at the image in shock.

"I know, so did I. I mean, she obviously wanted it that way. She never wanted people to know she was adopted, much less a foster kid. But it's definitely her." Genevieve's eyes locked on Ariana's, the two girls staring at each other with wide eyes.

"Is anyone going to fill us in?" Stiles suddenly burst out with a look of impatience, giving both of the girls a glare.

Ariana glanced at Genevieve before marching the photograph over to Stiles and shoving it in his hands with a little more force than was probably necessary. "This is a photo of our first foster home, me and Genevieve. Us with all of the other kids in the home. The little girl holding me there? That's Siobhan." Ariana tapped the photograph, her eyes still unable to look away from the small raven haired girl.

"Siobhan…" Stiles looked back up at Ariana with wide eyes. "Wait, as in Siobhan Brady, the self appointed Bitch of Beacon Hills?"

"You mean  _my_  Siobhan?" Lydia piped up with a frown, eyes sparking with irritated recognition. "The bitch that decided she could replace me the first chance she got?"

"The one and only," Ariana replied as Stiles grabbed the photograph from her hands to get a closer look.

"She's worth one hundred thousand dollars," Scott said quietly, his eyes on the Benefactor's list.

" _She's_  on the deadpool too? Since when?" Stiles asked, snapping his head up from the photograph, apparently more frustrated at someone else being included in the list instead of him again. It seemed odd to be annoyed at being excluded from a hit list but then again Ariana had stopped trying to rationalise anything Stiles did these days.

Scott just huffed a little though as he passed the list over to Stiles. "The same list that Ariana and Genevieve showed up on," he observed, his voice a little heavy.

Ariana leaned over Stiles's shoulder to stare at the list again.

Satomi Ito - 10m

Malia Hale - 4m

Liam Dunbar - 18m

Meredith Walker - 1m

Liz Moore - 1m

Patrick Clark - 1m

Siobhan Brady - 100k

Kaitlyn Schaar - 250k

Genevieve Carey - 250k

Angelique Fain - 250k

Lorelee Rohr - 250k

Ariana Petrakis - 150k

Sure enough there was Siobhan's name, sitting half way down, inconspicuous enough for Ariana to miss the first time.

"What the hell? Well what is she?" Stiles asked, staring back up to the pack as though someone had been hiding the answer from him the entire time.

"More importantly, where is she?" Kira piped up suddenly from where she'd been tucked away in the corner of the kitchen, listening intently. She had straightened up now though, her eyes widening a little more than usual as she gazed around the room at everyone else.

Ariana turned to frown over at Kira, confused at her choice of words. "What do you mean  _where_?"

"She's been missing for over a week now. Not since the PSATs." Kira explained, her eyes wide as she moved closer to stare down at the list, her brain churning away. "No one has seen her since…"

"Since she had a reaction to the ink…Oh my god she was one of the only people to have a reaction that day. How did we miss that?" Stiles mused aloud, staring across the room at Scott in disbelief.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing she's probably just as freaked out as you two were when your abilities were unlocked," Scott said, nodding his head towards where Genevieve and Ariana were now standing hand in hand and wide eyed.

"And whatever she is, we need to find out if we're going to go after the Donas. We need to know what powers the Donas might have." Deaton added solemnly. "I need to get back to the clinic now, but remember, the Donas is not your ordinary druid. She's beyond redemption. All we can do is attempt to lessen the chaos she plans to create."

With a slow nod towards Ariana, Deaton patted Scott on the arm before heading out of the room, leaving the pack to sit in a heavy silence.

Ariana leaned against the bench, one hand still gripping Genevieve's hand tightly as the two girls tried to comprehend everything they had just heard. Not only had their parents been murdered, but they'd been sacrificed for a ritual, leading to a whole new kind of chaos that no one could prepare for.

"So what do we do now?" Liam asked after a long pause. He'd been quiet throughout the entire exchange, clearly letting his brain slowly come to terms with yet another threat, but there was no fear in his eyes now. Just determination to help, to protect Ariana in any way he could.

"Well whatever this Donas is, we really don't know how much of a threat they are until we know what abilities they have," Scott said firmly as he looked around at the pack, taking in everyone's slightly stunned postures. "I vote we start looking for Siobhan as soon as possible. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can start focusing on the Donas."

The pack all slowly started to gather themselves together after a moment, Kira reaching forward to squeeze Genevieve's hand reassuringly, the small redhead seemingly too shaken by the truth to really react. She followed Kira out of the kitchen though, a small shuddering breath escaping her lips as she locked eyes briefly with Ariana. The two girls stared at each other for a moment, both still processing their new reality.

Scott seemed to notice Ariana's slightly trembling body as she leaned her weight against the kitchen counter, inhaling slowly as she willed her body to stay calm. "Don't worry, Ari. We'll find Siobhan. We'll find out what she is and we'll take down the Donas. I know we will," Scott said, his warm brown eyes staring down fiercely into Ariana's. "You're not alone in this fight. You've got us."

Ariana looked doubtfully up at Scott, but forced a nod as she bit down any words of despair. Her parents had been brutally sacrificed by an evil druid who now had supposedly unmatched powers. Nothing Ariana could say would even begin to cover how unnerved and terrified she felt now, but Scott was right, she wasn't alone. She had a whole little pack of people to get her through.

As the pack all finally filed out of Scott's house, the new mission clear and a goal sitting comfortably ahead of them, Ariana hovered behind for a moment. It was odd, suddenly feeling like she was part of something again. Part of a pack maybe. She'd spent so long with The Orphans, and losing them had cut deep. She'd lost a part of herself that night. But she'd gained something too. A new family. And a new part of herself too.

Still, Ariana couldn't help remembering what Peter had said to her back in Mexico, his breath tickling against her neck as he'd leaned forward to whisper a warning.

_"It's only a matter of time until everyone else sees that darkness inside you too."_

She knew it was there, of course. The darkness inside her had been growing for a while. She'd known something was bubbling underneath ever since she'd pushed the dagger into Violet's heart, sacrificing her own happiness and putting an end to her little family. She'd known when Violet's body had been found at the Nemeton. She'd known when she had created an earthquake that nearly brought down half of Mexico.

And as Ariana glanced in the mirror hanging up in Scott's front hallway, she knew it now.

There was something darker in her eyes already. Something that unsettled her. There was a darkness threatening to grow and she could feel it getting stronger. Deaton had said that becoming a Darach had destroyed more than Jennifer's soul. That darkness had destroyed her entire being. Even her physical appearance had shifted to reflect the darkness within, unable to hide for very long. How long until that darkness appeared in Ariana's own reflection?

As Ariana stared at her reflection, she saw a flash of something, so quick she almost missed it. But it was there, without a doubt. Her reflection had shifted ever so slightly, her hair suddenly wild and untamed, her face paler, and her eyes full of darkness, her irises almost completely blacked out as they stared back at her

"Ari? You coming?"

Ariana blinked quickly at the sound of Liam's voice, relieved when her reflection gazed back at her, completely normal.

She was fine. It would be fine. Everything was fine.

Whatever she'd just seen had probably been a figment of her imagination. It was her mind going into a paranoid overdrive. That was all. She turned away from the mirror, pulling a convincing smile up onto her lips as she hurried out the front door to where Liam was waiting, a hand outstretched towards her.

But as Ariana took Liam's warm hand in her own, the doubt within lingered. She wasn't a danger yet. She knew that. But how long until she lost control of herself? How long until the darkness swallowed her up? What would the pack do? Would they all turn against her? Would Liam? She was a druid now, but how long until that darkness changed her into something else? The thought haunted Ariana, letting itself slowly sink down onto her chest as she and Liam fell a few steps behind the rest of the pack.

Ariana believed she could be good. She wanted to be good. To make up for the blood on her hands, for all the lives tallied up on her assassin record. For the pain she'd caused, the mess she'd helped create, the blood she'd spilled.

She wanted to believe she could be more now. She could be better.

But what if the world had other plans?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And there we have it, the truth is (mostly) out in the open! Thank you so much for reading Take Me Down! Please let me know your thoughts on the final chapter and I really hope you enjoyed because I've had a lot of this mapped out for about a year and half and I'm super super keen to hear your thoughts and feelings on it all!
> 
> This just about wraps up Book 1 of the Daughters of the Nemeton series. I started posting Take Me Down 18 months ago and I'm so overwhelmed by all the love and support you've all shown me. But don't forget to stay tuned for the epilogue which will be posted on Sunday 24th of September! And keep an eye out for Book 2: Fight For You coming soon! Thank you again so much for reading and supporting me through this story and I cannot wait to continue Ariana's journey with you all :)


	23. epilogue

The harsh fluorescent lighting created an eerie atmosphere inside Eichen House's corridors, alluding to the atmosphere of a hospital but a little too bright to be comfortable. A little too harsh to quite calm your nerves. The lighting cast odd shadows in places they didn't belong, adding to the illusion of something darker watching you, unseen, lurking and waiting for you to drop your guard.

This was the place where nightmares were kept and observed. Documented. Examined. This was the place that collected your darkest fears and locked them up to be studied. But it was important to remember, this was not a permanent solution. This did not make you safe. Safety was no longer an option around here. This did not keep the dangers from you. This only kept the dangers contained until they had perfected the pretence of normality.

As the current doctor on rotation made his way down the long corridors, the sound proof glass provided a silence that never felt quite comfortable. His shoes clacked slightly on the cold tiles, echoing slightly, as he turned a corner and approached the 'special' corridor. A feeling of unease immediately sunk into his body as his passcode was approved, letting him through.

No one liked this corridor. No one wanted to walk past the most dangerous people and creatures in the county. But it was unavoidable for the doctors of Eichen no matter how reluctant they were. Still, the doctor knew his duty.

However the usual haunted silence of the special corridor was disrupted by the loud banging of fists against glass, courtesy of one of their latest patients, vicious and determined to break through, no matter what it took. She'd spent the last few weeks huddled up in the corner but it seemed that something had finally snapped inside her, revealing the wrath within.

The doctor's feet led him closer, his hands clutching his clipboard a little tighter as he observed the patient. He watched her calmly, his expression blank as the patient continued to slam her hands against the glass. Letting it vibrate under her skin with each violent movement. She had a face full of hostility as she glared back at him, eyes dark and wild.

"LET ME OUT!" The dark-haired girl called out to the doctor as he triple checked the lock on her door and examined the chart in his hands, pointedly ignoring her desperate pleas. "You can't just keep me here forever! You can't do this! Someone will notice me missing. They'll come for you!" Her voice was shrill and desperate, her eyes giving away the uncertainty behind her words. She knew that no one was coming. No one would come for her, just as no one came for the rest of the sullen patients in her neighbouring cells.

She was alone.

"Please! Please don't do this!" The girl pleaded again, her voice cracking in desperation. But her protests went ignored as the doctor briskly turned away, his footsteps quickening as he disappeared down the corridor. His cold eyes remained trained straight ahead until he swerved around the corner, leaving her to shout to an empty corridor.

"You can't do this to me!" The girl yelled out, banging her fists hopelessly against the thick glass again. "You can't-" She broke off, stumbling back slightly as her breath suddenly quickened.

The girl began to tremble slightly, taking a sharp breath as she clenched her eyes shut. "No. Not again," she managed to choke out as she reached to clutch her throat tightly, doing whatever she could to constrict it, fingers tightening roughly against skin, pressing and grasping against the muscles of her neck. "No. I don't want to-"

But it was no use. As the lights began to flicker all the way down the corridor, several cells down Gabriel Valack allowed a slow smile to slide up his lips.

Without any more warning, Siobhan Brady opened her mouth wide and let out a long blood curling scream.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ahhhhhh and that officially wraps up Take Me Down! Please leave a review if you can let me know all your thoughts! What did you think of this little epilogue? Are you worried about Siobhan? Do you already hate her too much to care? How nervous are you for the sequel now? Feel free to let me know what you're excited to see in Book 2: Fight For You, and even what you loved about TMD overall now that it's all done! And don't forget to check out the DOTN tumblr (daughtersofthenemeton) for all my Ariana/Genevieve/Siobhan related edits and to keep updated on Book 2 coming soon!
> 
> I have absolutely loved sharing Ariana's journey with you all and reading all of your thoughts throughout the story. I honestly wouldn't still be writing without all of your support and I am eternally grateful to everyone who has left reviews or clicked favourite/follow and shown me that they care about my little murderous orphan child and her friends.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading and for loving my girls with me and I'll see you all soon as we move into season 5 of Teen Wolf!


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